July 31, 2020
 July 31, 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 $34,410 of our $50,000 goal. In addition to these contributions, we are loving your comments about how you enjoy Bookreporter.com. Here is a message we received recently: Yvonne: "This is a tremendous resource for book clubs." Thank you again for your consideration and your donation.  Carol's latest "Bookreporter Talks To" interview is with Jill McCorkle,  Carol and Tom's friends, Alison and Bob, joined them for an al fresco dinner last Saturday.  The zinnia seeds that Carol planted in June are coming in nicely, as you can see above. Our Unedited Lives I was thinking the other night how different life has been since March. Besides the fear and uncertainty that has permeated our lives, there is also a realness to these days. I feel like people are editing the way they look --- and act --- a lot less. We are seeing newscasters in their homes; on a personal note, I am broadcasting "Bookreporter Talks To" from my dining room instead of a New York office. My husband jokes that I will need to find a new spot to film before Thanksgiving (which feels like a lifetime away). As we walk around masked up, there is a lot less reason to apply lipstick. However, I have done that more than once before leaving the house and have rolled my eyes and asked, “WHY did I do that?” Celebrities and those in the public eye are not as coiffed and pulled together as they once were. I feel like style influencers are not on the same pedestals as we roam our homes more than other places. We are dealing more in the here and now instead of the future. A yarn shop wrote the other day with suggestions for Christmas/holiday knitting. That feels like so long from now that I quickly closed that email. At the same time, I feel that there are some deeper conversations happening and some stronger connections are being made. Maybe it is just me, but everything feels a lot less superficial, a lot less perfect, and a lot more real. And I have to say, I like this. This week, in an effort to get some water exercise in while I worked, I headed outside at lunchtime with my Bluetooth headset on and listened to some podcasts while working out with resistance weights in the pool. It was perfect! I am curious if you listen to any book-themed podcasts, and which ones. Drop me a note with the subject line “Book Podcasts” with your thoughts on those. Also, we’d love you to share our “Bookreporter Talks To” Videos & Podcasts page with your friends. We are getting such wonderful feedback about these interviews, and we’d love to grow our audience even more. Here’s the link to all of them that you can share. And if you have more ideas on where we can get word out about these interviews, let us know! My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Jill McCorkle, whose newly released novel is HIEROGLYPHICS. The idea for the book came from two real-life events: the 1942 Cocoanut Grove fire in Boston and a train wreck in Rennert, North Carolina. Jill thought about the families of those who passed away from these accidents and the impact it had on their lives. The story explores this through the lens of a retired married couple, Lil and Frank, who each experienced a loss as a result of these incidents. Now living in North Carolina, Lil is creating a history of their lives to leave behind for their children, while Frank goes back to the house he grew up in to search for some history he might have left behind. There are many secrets that have been hidden for both of them. Layer in a young single mom raising her son in Frank’s old house, and readers will have an even bigger story woven for them. In our interview, I talked about the careful way that you'll want to read Jill’s books so you don't miss small but meaningful details, and Jill shared a surprise that she layered in for readers of her 2013 novel, LIFE AFTER LIFE. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. We also are featuring our review of HIEROGLYPHICS from Rebecca Munro, who calls it "a masterful and poignant exploration of memory, history and the stories we hold dear, regardless of their basis in fact or fiction." This week, we’re kicking off a special contest for HOMELAND ELEGIES, the highly anticipated new novel from Ayad Akhtar, whose previous books include AMERICAN DERVISH and the Pulitzer Prize winner DISGRACED. His latest work is part family drama, part social essay, part picaresque novel, and at its heart is the story of a father, a son and the country they both call home. The book doesn’t release until September 15th, but we have 25 finished copies to give away to our readers. All you have to do is fill out this form by Friday, August 14th at noon ET. Shari Lapena is back with another winning novel of domestic suspense, THE END OF HER, an upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that I read back in May and plowed through in a few hours. Stephanie and Patrick are adjusting to life with their colicky twin girls. The babies are a handful, but even as Stephanie struggles with the disorientation of sleep deprivation, there's one thing she's sure of: she has all she ever wanted. Then Erica, a woman from Patrick's past, appears and makes a disturbing accusation. Patrick had always said his first wife's death was an accident, but now Erica claims it was murder. Our reviewer Bronwyn Miller calls THE END OF HER “a gripping, satisfying read” and proclaims that Shari Lapena “has secured her place as the new queen of domestic suspense, inheriting the mantle from the late Mary Higgins Clark. Her relatable characters find themselves thrust into distressing circumstances that threaten to destroy their peaceful existence. They must make a harrowing choice and do so quickly. Her riveting novels are great fodder for book clubs because they make you ask yourself (and others), ‘How would I handle this situation?’” Find out why I'm betting you'll love this book in next week's newsletter. Other books we’re reviewing this week include Alex Trebek’s wise, charming and inspiring memoir, THE ANSWER IS…, in which the longtime “Jeopardy!” host and television icon reflects on his life and career as he battles stage IV pancreatic cancer; HIS & HERS, a new psychological thriller from Alice Feeney about a newsreader who is reluctant to cover the case of a murdered woman, and a detective who is suspicious of her and then becomes a suspect in his own investigation (it will be a Bets On pick); INTIMATIONS, a short and timely series of reflective essays that Zadie Smith wrote during the early months of lockdown; A STAR IS BORED, a brisk and fun novel that was influenced in part by author Bryon Lane’s stint as Carrie Fisher’s assistant; and PLAYING NICE by JP Delaney, which poses two intriguing questions: What if you found out that your family isn’t yours at all? And how far would you go to protect them? I talked to Alice Feeney this week and will share my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with her in next week’s newsletter, along with my Bets On commentary. Alice lives in the Surrey countryside of England, and it was so lovely to meet her, even long distance. We gave away HIS & HERS in this week’s Summer Reading contest, along with THE WOMAN BEFORE WALLIS: A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts, and Royal Scandal by Bryn Turnbull. Next week’s prize will be THE SILENT WIFE by Karin Slaughter, and the contest for that will begin on Tuesday, August 4th at noon ET. For our latest poll, we’ve listed 20 titles releasing in August, and we’re asking you which, if any, you’re looking forward to reading. Click here to let us know. Our previous poll asked if your reading habits have changed because of the pandemic. We asked the same question back in March and were curious to see how the numbers would compare. Here is a breakdown of the results from both polls:
As you can see, more of you are reading and are less distracted this time around, which is GREAT news. We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Let us know by Friday, August 14th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Fiona Davis (which we will review next week) and A PRIVATE CATHEDRAL: A Dave Robicheaux Novel by James Lee Burke (which we will review in two weeks). This is your last newsletter reminder to enter this month’s Sounding Off on Audio contest. Submit your comments about the audiobooks you’ve listened to, and you’ll have the chance to win the audio versions of Brad Thor's NEAR DARK, read by Armand Schultz, and Kristin Harmel's THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES, read by Madeleine Maby. Please do so by Monday, August 3rd at noon ET. On Tuesday, August 4th at 1pm ET, William Kent Krueger will join members of the Simon & Schuster team for a Facebook Live Book Club chat about THIS TENDER LAND, which is now in paperback and is July’s pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites. Kent is such an engaging speaker, so this should be a fun event! Later that day, at 7pm ET, Barnes & Noble will host a Facebook Live discussion for their July book club pick, FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER, featuring Rachel Beanland and Ann Hood. I so enjoyed chatting with Rachel for a “Bookreporter Talks To” interview a couple of weeks ago and know they will have a great conversation. Scroll further down the newsletter for more book and author events. And don’t forget that on Wednesday, August 12th at 2pm ET, we will be hosting our virtual event, "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books”, via Zoom for the second time. I will present titles releasing in late August and September, along with a few from October, that I want to get on your radar. We are limiting attendance to the first 500 attendees, so now is the time to sign up! If you already signed up for this session, please do not sign up again. This will help us keep an accurate audience count. Stay tuned as we are planning a special evening event for the 24th anniversary of Bookreporter on Thursday, August 27th. The longlist for this year’s Man Booker Prize has been announced. Among the 13 books, referred to as the “Man Booker Dozen,” are THE MIRROR & THE LIGHT by Hilary Mantel, SUCH A FUN AGE by Kiley Reid, and REDHEAD BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD by Anne Tyler. The shortlist of six books will be announced on September 15th, followed by the announcement of the winner in November. New & Pop Culture Reader Mail: Pat wrote this about my comment last week about this being a golden moment for reading: “Isn’t every moment reading Golden??!! Greatest entertainment and learning source for everything thinkable! A day without reading is not a day!” Jani wrote, “Even though I review books for an online 'zine, we haven't had the influx of books that we usually get. So in between review books, I've read all of Louise Penny's Chief Inspector Gamache books since March. As the weather got better, my Gordon Setter and I would head outside and I'd sit and read for hours (after our walk, of course!). I don't know what I would have done without books these past months.” Barbara wrote this about winning THE LAST FLIGHT in a Summer Reading contest: “I just wanted to let you know that THE LAST FLIGHT that I won a copy of from Bookreporter was fantastic! I really enjoyed it. Thank you so much!” Theresa wrote this about the books she won in our Father’s Day contest: “Just a note to let you know my books arrived today --- now to decide which one to read first!” That was a great selection to decide from! Elizabeth wrote this about winning THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES: “I received the book yesterday. So excited to get it. Thanks so much. I can’t wait to read it.” Shari wrote, “Many thanks to The Book Report Network for picking me to receive a copy of FEELS LIKE FALLING by Kristy Woodson Harvey as part of their Spring Preview contest. FEELS LIKE FALLING is the perfect feel-good book. You meet Gray, who is so independent and strong on the outside as her world is tumbling apart, and Diana, who just can’t get a break as she gets fired from her menial job. These women, whose backgrounds couldn’t be more different, help each other and develop this wonderful bond. It shows that no matter how awful things look, you can pull through to a higher level of contentment with the help of a friend.” The Bookshop on Amazon Prime: It’s based on the book by Penelope Fitzgerald. I loved the line, “No one is ever alone in a bookshop.” That is quite true! The Weight of Gold on HBO: This is a brilliant documentary on the emotional and psychological toll that competing in the spotlight has on Olympic athletes once the glamour of their events end. During the weeks of the games, these young athletes are household names, being judged by their performance, which is often just a few minutes long. Michael Phelps is one of the producers, and he has been very vocal about this subject. It also made me think about all the athletes who were primed to compete this summer. What has the pandemic meant for them, some of whom were at their peak, like the young gymnasts? "Indian Matchmaking" on Netflix: A friend recommended this series to me on Facebook, and immediately others chimed in telling me to watch it. It is so interesting to see how matchmaking is handled in modern times. I binged it! And yes, one of the young women was really annoying! Our friends, Alison and Bob, joined us for an al fresco dinner last Saturday. They brought two bottles of wine that were selected as an amusing nod to my role at Bookreporter --- one was called The Critic and the other Storypoint. So, so clever! I just loved it. Alison also made a fabulous peach dessert that I have to get the recipe for. She had chased down the absolute ripest peaches for it! On Sunday, I collapsed outside and happily read the aforementioned THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Fiona Davis, which was wonderful and will be a Bets On selection. The last few months have me so far behind on my reading, and as per our “On Sale This Week” newsletter, next week there are 57(!) new books coming out that we think will be of interest to you. Cory came by for dinner last night, which was a lot of fun. He has been kayaking and loving it. He got his girlfriend Sam a blowup kayak for her birthday back in May, and he thinks it may just be the coolest gift he ever bought. Tom and I used to sail a catamaran in the years before we had kids. It’s still in the woods behind the house here, and Cory was talking about what it needs to get back on the water. It brought back a lot of fun memories thinking about that! Greg is still trekking around Alaska. He has sent some brilliant photos from Denali of both the peak and the wildlife. The other day, I texted him to be sure that a bear had not found him in the woods. I got a quick text with the word “Alive.” Phew. He’s still gone for 10 more days. Amazing adventure. The zinnia seeds that I tossed in the garden back in June are coming in nicely, as you can see in the photo above. I love arranging flowers around the house, so these are perfect. Also, I have seen just one Japanese beetle on the dahlias. Hmmmm…that means I may get more of those next year. As I write this, there is a huge rainstorm outside, which means no need to water the flowers tomorrow. Time saved! Speaking of time, I feel like March through June felt like a year and July was about 20 minutes long. I keep saying to people when I mention something is happening in August, "It's next week!" Tom's mom, his sister and our nieces are coming over tomorrow. Al fresco social distancing will be in order. I think we need a heated tent outside for winter. Read on, and have a great week. Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)    Featured Review: THE END OF HER by Shari Lapena  THE END OF HER by Shari Lapena (Psychological Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. THE END OF HER will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Featured Review: THE ANSWER IS… by Alex Trebek  THE ANSWER IS...: Reflections on My Life by Alex Trebek (Autobiography) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review.  New Special Contest: Enter to Win a Copy of  Ayad Akhtar, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of DISGRACED and AMERICAN DERVISH, returns with a long-awaited new novel. In HOMELAND ELEGIES, an immigrant father and his son search for belonging --- in post-Trump America, and with each other. We have 25 finished copies to give away to those who would like to preview the book, which releases on September 15th. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, August 14th at noon ET. HOMELAND ELEGIES by Ayad Akhtar (Fiction) Ayad Akhtar forges a new narrative voice to capture a country in which debt has ruined countless lives and the gods of finance rule, where immigrants live in fear, and where the nation’s unhealed wounds wreak havoc around the world. Akhtar attempts to make sense of it all through the lens of a story about one family, from a heartland town in America to palatial suites in Central Europe to guerrilla lookouts in the mountains of Afghanistan, and spares no one --- least of all himself --- in the process. - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to enter the contest. Featured Review: HIS & HERS by Alice Feeney  HIS & HERS by Alice Feeney (Psychological Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. HIS & HERS will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Featured Review: HIEROGLYPHICS by Jill McCorkle  HIEROGLYPHICS by Jill McCorkle (Fiction) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review: INTIMATIONS by Zadie Smith  INTIMATIONS: Six Essays by Zadie Smith (Essays) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review: A STAR IS BORED by Byron Lane  A STAR IS BORED by Byron Lane (Fiction/Humor) Click here to read our review. Featured Review: PLAYING NICE by JP Delaney  PLAYING NICE by JP Delaney (Psychological Thriller) Click here to read our review. 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, August 4th 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: Fiona Davis, Elin Hilderbrand, Shari Lapena 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. Sunday, August 2nd at 6pm ET: Shelter Island Public Library Virtual Event: In this online fundraiser for the Shelter Island Public Library, bestselling authors Adriana Trigiani (TONY'S WIFE) and Elin Hilderbrand (28 SUMMERS) will talk about their writing lives, their characters and settings, and much more. Monday, August 3rd at 7pm ET: Douglas County Library Virtual Event: Shari Lapena will talk about her new novel, THE END OF HER, with Harlan Coben, the #1 bestselling author of THE BOY FROM THE WOODS. Monday, August 3rd at 7pm ET: The Strand Virtual Event: Join The Strand for a virtual event featuring Joy Goodwin in conversation with Finola Austin, author of BRONTË’S MISTRESS. Tuesday, August 4th at 1pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites Online Event: William Kent Krueger will join members of the Simon & Schuster team for a Facebook Live Book Club chat about THIS TENDER LAND, which is now in paperback and is this month's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites. Tuesday, August 4th at 7pm ET: Barnes & Noble Virtual Book Club Event: Barnes & Noble will host a Facebook Live discussion for their July book club pick, FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER, featuring author Rachel Beanland and Ann Hood, whose most recent book is KITCHEN YARNS: Notes on Life, Love, and Food. Tuesday, August 4th at 7pm ET: Brookline Booksmith Virtual Event: Brookline Booksmith is excited to continue their long history of wonderful launches with Hank Phillippi Ryan, whose new book is THE FIRST TO LIE. Wednesday, August 5th 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. Their special guest will be Elin Hilderbrand, whose latest novel is 28 SUMMERS. Wednesday, August 5th at 10pm ET: Bookshop Santa Cruz Virtual Event: Join Bookshop Santa Cruz for an online event with David Sheff as he discusses his new book, THE BUDDHIST ON DEATH ROW: How One Man Found Light in the Darkest Place. Thursday, August 6th through Sunday, August 9th: East Hampton Library’s Annual Authors Night: Tickets are now on sale for East Hampton Library’s 16th Annual Authors Night, presented this year as a series of interactive online Zoom events. Each one-hour author event will be in the format of a conversation between the featured author and a noted interviewer, followed by a moderated question-and-answer period with the participating online audience. Thursday, August 6th at 7pm ET: RJ Julia Booksellers Virtual Event: Stolen books, rare manuscripts and two bestselling authors make for a fascinating evening! Fiona Davis will discuss her latest novel, THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE, with Adriana Trigiani. Thursday, August 6th at 8pm ET: Magic City Books Virtual Event: Magic City Books is excited to welcome internationally bestselling authors Shari Lapena and Riley Sager for a virtual event. Lapena is the author of four previous bestselling books, and her latest thriller, THE END OF HER, is one of the most highly anticipated books of the summer. Friday, August 7th at 7pm ET: Margaret Mitchell House Virtual Event: Shari Lapena will be in conversation with fellow New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner about her new novel, THE END OF HER.   "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:
Upcoming interviews include:
Click here for a complete list of our    More Reviews This WeekTHE WIFE WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Michele Campbell (Psychological Thriller) WHEN SHE WAS GOOD by Michael Robotham (Psychological Thriller) OF MUTTS AND MEN: A Chet & Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn (Mystery) THE BUTTERFLY LAMPSHADE by Aimee Bender (Fiction) STRANGER IN THE SHOGUN'S CITY: A Japanese Woman and Her World by Amy Stanley (History) STRONG FROM THE HEART: A Caitlin Strong Novel by Jon Land (Thriller) THE DAUGHTERS OF FOXCOTE MANOR by Eve Chase (Mystery) THE VACATION by T. M. Logan (Psychological Thriller) FLYAWAY by Kathleen Jennings (Fantasy) LET'S NEVER TALK ABOUT THIS AGAIN: A Memoir by Sara Faith Alterman (Memoir) FRATERNITY: Stories by Benjamin Nugent (Fiction/Short Stories)   
Next Week’s Notables:
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