May 7, 2021
 May 7, 2021Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com Reviews | Features | Bookreporter.com Bets On | Upcoming Bets On Happy Mother's Day! I am going to start with a Mother’s Day theme here and tell you to check out this year’s Mother’s Day Author Blog series. We kicked it off last week with wonderful pieces from Laura Munson, Lea Geller and Elizabeth Brundage. This week, we heard from seven more authors: Andrea Lee, Deborah Goodrich Royce, Mary Dixie Carter, Wendy Francis, Virginia Hume, Nancy Thayer and Elin Hilderbrand. All 10 of this year’s contributors shared lovely remembrances of reading with their mothers or with their own children, and talked about how their moms (and even grandmothers) influenced them to become readers and writers. I enjoyed each and every piece, and a huge thanks to these authors for sharing these snapshots of their lives with us.  Speaking of moms: Jonathan Karp, the CEO of Simon & Schuster, hosts “The World According to Karp,” a video series where he recommends Simon & Schuster titles that he is especially passionate about. His latest episode was Mother’s Day-themed, and he had his mom as his guest. I loved this segment, so I am sharing it here. And while we're on the subject, congratulations to the winners of our Mother’s Day contest! Five lucky readers --- Anita K. from Tremonton, UT; Barbara F. from Westmont, NJ; Delane R. from Novato, CA; Michele M. from Cleveland, OH; and Susan M. from DeLand, FL --- will receive all 15 of our featured titles. I personally packed them up, and they are headed to the post office tomorrow! We will kick off our 16th annual Father’s Day contest on Friday, May 21st, so please be on the lookout for that.  I came across a really lovely story this week about an indie bookstore that I wanted to share with you. Warwick’s in La Jolla, California, is reportedly the longest continuously running family-owned bookstore in the country, and they are celebrating their 125th anniversary this year. They recently found themselves in a tough situation: the building where their store resides had a potential buyer, and the new owner was only willing to give the store a three-year lease. The store owners moved into action to pull together a counter offer with a crazy 15-day timetable. Over 30 members of the community, including store employees, astonishingly raised $8.35 million in that very tight time frame to buy the building, offering the store a 10-year lease and two five-year extensions. That is how vital they thought the store was to the town. I love stories like this. They do not happen often enough. Here’s the full story, and above is a photo of the happy investors.  My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Mark Sullivan, whose 2017 novel, BENEATH A SCARLET SKY, was a mega-bestseller and a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. His latest work of historical fiction, the eagerly anticipated THE LAST GREEN VALLEY, released this week, and it will be another Bets On selection. The book opens in Ukraine in 1944, where the Martel family is offered two options: wait for Stalin to arrive, or run with the Nazis who will protect them. Neither is a great choice, but they decide to do the latter. As ethnic Germans, they embark on a trek to travel as far west as they can. Mark explained how he came upon their story in his hometown of Bozeman, Montana; talked about his research trip to Ukraine with the two Martel brothers, who are now in their late 70s and 80s; and discussed pacing and what he learned from years of co-writing with James Patterson. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. Ray Palen has our review of THE LAST GREEN VALLEY and says, "Every reader will be sharing the Martels’ dream of finding that heraldic green valley where they may live out their lives peacefully. I hail Mark Sullivan for doing it again --- taking very real, very human stories set during the most intense period in recent world history and providing us with a work of historical fiction that we will not forget anytime soon." Don’t miss my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.  Chris Bohjalian, who many of you know as the author of the novel that inspired the HBO Max series “The Flight Attendant,” is back with his latest book, HOUR OF THE WITCH. In this timely and twisty historical thriller, a young Puritan woman --- who is faithful and resourceful, but afraid of the demons that dog her soul --- plots her escape from a violent marriage. Ray Palen calls it "a brilliant, intense and extremely satisfying work by a master of literary fiction who just seems to be getting better and better." HOUR OF THE WITCH is this month’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. On Tuesday, June 1st at 3pm ET, Chris Bohjalian will be discussing the book live on B&N’s Facebook page with Jodi Picoult. This week, Kirstin Valdez Quade talked to Karen Russell about THE FIVE WOUNDS, which was April’s B&N selection. If you missed their conversation, you can watch it here.  Linwood Barclay is one of my favorite thriller writers, and his latest, FIND YOU FIRST, is yet another example of why. He follows up his terrifying and heart-stopping ELEVATOR PITCH with a riveting novel of psychological suspense in which the possible heirs of a dying tech millionaire are mysteriously being eliminated, one by one. Our reviewer Joe Hartlaub says, “The twists and turns…are nicely balanced with suspense, action, character development and a plot that demands that you read the story from start to finish with no pauses or excuses.” And according to Stephen King, it “starts with a bang and ends with an even bigger one… It’s the best book of his career.” High praise, indeed! FIND YOU FIRST will be a Bets On pick; find out why in next week’s newsletter. I look forward to chatting with Linwood soon for a “Bookreporter Talks To” interview.  Another upcoming Bets On title is THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave, which is Reese’s Book Club pick for May. This gripping mystery is about a woman who thinks she has found the love of her life --- until he disappears. Rebecca Munro has our review and says, "With a ripped-from-the-headlines mystery at its heart, it’s easy to see why THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME is instantly gripping. But Dave uses the budding relationship between Hannah and Bailey to elevate it into something far more than just a solid suspense novel." You can catch my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter, and I plan to interview Laura later this month. Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
 Also in stores this week is Mary Kay Andrews' latest book, THE NEWCOMER. Kristin Harmel, the author of THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES, perfectly describes what it's all about: "A fast-paced, delightful roller coaster of a ride, THE NEWCOMER takes us from a murder scene in Manhattan to a laid-back beach town on Florida's west coast, as one brave woman tries to save her young niece's life. Filled with colorful characters, rapid-fire plot twists, a simmering romance, and Mary Kay Andrews' signature wit, the latest from the reigning queen of summer will have you flipping pages at breakneck speed as you plunge into a world so well-drawn, you'll feel the sand beneath your toes and hear the murmuring surf just outside." MKA (as we like to call her here) is currently on a book tour for THE NEWCOMER that features a mixture of live (imagine that!) and virtual events. Click here to see the full schedule, and be sure to check back as more events are added. Word of Mouth Reminder Our Summer Reading Contests Are Up and Running!  Out this week in paperback is THE LAST FLIGHT by Julie Clark, which is this month's Target Book Club pick and the latest prize in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com. We're giving three groups the chance to win up to 12 copies of the book; to enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, June 9th at noon ET. I made it a Bets On selection when it released in hardcover last year, and I had the pleasure of interviewing Julie about the book. You can watch the interview here and listen to the podcast here. We also have updated our Books on Screen feature for May. This month’s roundup includes the season one release of "The Underground Railroad" on Amazon Prime Video; the films The Woman in the Window on Netflix, Those Who Wish Me Dead on HBO Max, and The Dry on demand (the latter two also will be in theaters); the season premiere of "Shrill" on Hulu; the season finales of ABC's "Big Sky" and FOX's "The Resident"; and the DVD releases of Chaos Walking, The Reason I Jump and The Mauritanian. Our poll continues to ask which of 25 books releasing in May you’re planning to read. Be sure to let us know which titles you’re anticipating the most by voting here!  “Good Morning America” announced this week that OLYMPUS, TEXAS is their May book club pick. In Stacey Swann’s debut novel, marriages struggle, rivalries flare and secrets explode, all with a clever wink toward classical mythology. Here’s what the author told “GMA” about her first book: "These are characters that you can really sink your teeth into. They have flaws --- really big flaws, actually --- but they also really love each other. And they want to do right by each other and the conflict between those two things makes them easy to root for even when they're driving you nuts." For more May selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.  This is your last weekly newsletter reminder to sign up for this month’s “Bookaccino Live” afternoon event, which will take place on Wednesday, May 12th at 2pm ET. I will present a number of titles releasing between May 11th and June 1st, along with a few from July, that I would like to get on your radar. Please keep in mind that attendees of the live event will be invited to answer a survey about the books from the presentation that they are most interested in reading. Those who do will be eligible to win a prize! Be sure to register here by 1pm ET on Wednesday to get a list of the featured titles sent to you before the event. Our Upcoming Book Group Speed Dating Event --- Attention Booksellers, Librarians and Book Group Leaders!
Reader Mail: Terry wrote, “To my delight, I won one of your contests and received THE FOUR WINDS, as well as THE UNWILLING. I have read THE FOUR WINDS. It was so touching. I cried for the 400+ pages. Thank you, and I appreciate all of your emails.” Rose wrote, “Thank you for the book, INFINITE COUNTRY! It has been on my TBR list, and I was so pleased, and surprised, to have received it as a Bookaccino Live winner. I absolutely love listening to the Bookaccino broadcasts each month, and I keep adding and adding to my TBR! The World's First Floating Pool: I want to swim in this pool, but I am not sure if I would be terrified to do so. This was a busy week, and I didn't have much time for streaming or screening, so I don't have any great ideas about what to watch. Feel free to share your faves with me!  Greg had an unexpected fun moment on his return flight from Houston last weekend. Let me start this by prefacing that he is a self-professed total plane geek. He keeps track of the planes that he has flown on. I mean, the actual equipment. He flew to Frankfurt to catch one of the last 747 flights on United. On Sunday night, his flight from McAllen, TX to Houston was delayed, so he was booked Monday on an early morning flight, where the equipment was Star Wars-themed. They had done it as a tie-in for the last Star Wars film. Above is a picture that he snapped. Here’s more about how the plane was outfitted; I love serendipitous moments like this. Happy Mother’s Day to our readers who are moms. Also, I know that some of you may be spending this Mother’s Day without your mom, perhaps for the first time, or for the many-th time. May you treasure your memories and allow yourself to feel however you want that day. We will be celebrating with my mom. And I am going to grab some time to celebrate with Tom and the boys, too. Next week is going to be a very busy one with those events on the horizon. So I will grab some extra sleep. I hope to “see” some of you next week at “Bookaccino Live” or Book Group Speed Dating. Read on, and have a great week. Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)    Featured Review:  THE LAST GREEN VALLEY by Mark Sullivan (Historical Fiction) Click here to read our review. THE LAST GREEN VALLEY will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Featured Review:  HOUR OF THE WITCH by Chris Bohjalian (Historical Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review: FIND YOU FIRST by Linwood Barclay  FIND YOU FIRST by Linwood Barclay (Psychological Thriller) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. FIND YOU FIRST will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Featured Review:  THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave (Domestic Thriller/Mystery) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Featured Review: GREAT CIRCLE by Maggie Shipstead  GREAT CIRCLE by Maggie Shipstead (Historical Fiction) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Now Available: THE NEWCOMER by Mary Kay Andrews  THE NEWCOMER by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction) Click here to read more about the book. Bookreporter.com's 17th Annual  Summer will be here before you know it! 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, May 11th at noon ET. This year’s prize books include:
Click here to read all the contest details and learn more about our prize books. Bookreporter.com’s 12th Annual  Our Mother's Day Author Blogs are back for a 12th year! We are excited to be sharing pieces from 10 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.
As always, we appreciate all the authors who took the time to participate in this annual feature. Click here to read this year's Mother's Day Author Blogs.    May’s New in Paperback Roundups May's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes THE MIRROR & THE LIGHT, the triumphant conclusion to Hilary Mantel's trilogy that began with her Booker Prize-winning novels, WOLF HALL and BRING UP THE BODIES; THE GIVER OF STARS by Jojo Moyes, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond, set in Depression-era America; ONE BY ONE, another “locked-door” thriller from Ruth Ware --- this time set in a blissful, rustic mountain chalet --- full of secrets, betrayals and murder; SEX AND VANITY, in which Kevin Kwan takes readers from Capri to New York City, where Lucie Tang Churchill finds herself torn between two men --- and two very different cultures; and THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE, Fiona Davis' page-turning historical novel about a series of book thefts that roils the iconic New York Public Library, leaving two generations of strong-willed women to pick up the pieces. Among our nonfiction highlights are FINDING CHIKA, Mitch Albom’s most personal story to date --- an intimate and heartwarming memoir about what it means to be a family and the young Haitian orphan whose short life would forever change his heart; COUNTDOWN 1945, veteran journalist and "Fox News Sunday" anchor Chris Wallace's electrifying behind-the-scenes account of the 116 days leading up to the American attack on Hiroshima; THE LINCOLN CONSPIRACY, in which Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch team up to examine a little-known but true story about a failed assassination attempt on the 16th president; and MORE THAN LOVE, the never-before-told story of Hollywood icon Natalie Wood’s glamorous life, sudden death and lasting legacy, written by her daughter, Natasha Gregson Wagner. Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of    May’s Books on Screen Feature Here is a preview of this month's movies, TV shows and DVDs that are based on books. For a complete list of May's offerings, please click here.
Those Who Wish Me Dead The Woman in the Window The Dry Series Premiere "The Underground Railroad" Season Premiere "Shrill" Season Finale "Big Sky"
The Reason I Jump    From left to right: Jennifer Weiner, Jeffery Deaver, Jean Hanff Korelitz 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, May 9th at 5pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": For this special Mother's Day episode, the "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Alice Monroe --- will talk to the Satellite Sisters. Monday, May 10th at 7pm ET: Harvard Book Store: Harvard Book Store's virtual event series welcomes award-winning, New York Times bestselling novelists Maggie Shipstead and J. Courtney Sullivan for a discussion of their latest books --- the newly published GREAT CIRCLE, which is this month's "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club pick, and FRIENDS AND STRANGERS, which is now in paperback. Monday, May 10th at 8pm ET: Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Jeffery Deaver will talk about the third installment in his Colter Shaw thriller series, THE FINAL TWIST. Tuesday, May 11th at 6pm ET: "Adriana Ink": In the latest episode of her weekly Facebook Live show, "Adriana Ink," Adriana Trigiani will talk to Stacey Swann, whose debut novel, OLYMPUS, TEXAS, is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick. Tuesday, May 11th at 6pm ET: Bank Square Books and Savoy Bookshop & Café: Chris Bohjalian will be in conversation with Wally Lamb about his new book, HOUR OF THE WITCH, which is this month's Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. Chris and Wally also will discuss the HBO adaptations of their novels, THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT and I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE. Wednesday, May 12th at 2pm ET: "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books": Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between May 11th and June 1st, along with a few from July, that she would like to get on your radar. Wednesday, May 12th at 6:30pm ET: Square Books: Chris Bohjalian and Gin Phillips will discuss their work, why they do what they do, and --- of course --- their new books, HOUR OF THE WITCH and FAMILY LAW. Wednesday, May 12th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will throw a launch party for Mary Alice Monroe's new book, THE SUMMER OF LOST AND FOUND. Wednesday, May 12th at 7pm ET: Midtown Scholar Bookstore: Join #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner for a live discussion of her new novel, THAT SUMMER, with Vogue’s Emma Specter. Thursday, May 13th at 7pm ET: BookHampton: Join BookHampton for an evening of dizzying plot twists and family drama as Laura Dave will be in conversation with THE LAST FLIGHT author Julie Clark about her latest novel, THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, which is Reese's Book Club pick for this month. Thursday, May 13th at 8pm ET: Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Jean Hanff Korelitz will talk to fellow New York Times bestselling author Joseph Finder about her latest novel, THE PLOT. "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 Week21st BIRTHDAY by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Thriller) ROBERT B. PARKER'S PAYBACK: A Sunny Randall Novel by Mike Lupica (Mystery) UNDER THE WAVE AT WAIMEA by Paul Theroux (Fiction) SEVEN PERFECT THINGS by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Fiction) DIAL A FOR AUNTIES by Jesse Q. Sutanto (Fiction/Humor) IT HAD TO BE YOU by Georgia Clark (Romantic Comedy) DEAD OF WINTER by Stephen Mack Jones (Mystery/Thriller) SHOOT-OUT AT SUGAR CREEK: A Caleb York Western by Mickey Spillane and Max Allan Collins (Western) HER THREE LIVES by Cate Holahan (Psychological Thriller) SPELLMAKER by Charlie N. Holmberg (Historical Fantasy/Mystery) JUST GET HOME by Bridget Foley (Thriller)   
Next Week's Notables:
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