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Chase, this one’s for you. Chase was our Ricoh salesman when we had our New York office. While we had just one copier in the office and bought another one for working from home, he was the kind of salesman who was fun to chat with. He was interested in what we did. I would recommend books to him, and he signed up for our newsletter.
I learned last week that we have a new Ricoh rep; she called to introduce herself. My first thought was “Where is Chase?” I tracked him down on LinkedIn to wish him luck. He wrote back and said that at his new job, “You’ll be proud that we have a monthly book club, and I was sure to participate in the first one. We read MEXICAN GOTHIC, a neat little supernatural thriller. I recommend it.” I loved hearing this. So Chase, if you are reading this, let me know what your office is reading next. And for the record, I still have not figured out how to set up Wi-Fi access on the new printer, or how to scan. But hey, it’s only been a year --- a very busy year at that!
Last night, I realized that in the last eight days we did “Bookaccino Live,” our 10th Annual Book Group Speed Dating program, an author interview, I did a preview program for Nassau County librarians, we did a “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event and launched our Father’s Day contest. Whew! I also attended a number of publisher previews and can tell you that there are some excellent books coming in the months ahead. It has been an energizing time!
Last night, we hosted our fourth "Bookaccino Live" Book Group event. Our guest was Robert Kolker, the author of HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD: Inside the Mind of an American Family, a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Bob gave us a fabulous interview when the book was first published last year. It was wonderful to pick up a conversation with him this year and talk more in-depth about the book, as well as hear some terrific reactions and questions from attendees. Click here to watch the interview and here to listen to the podcast.
I heard from many readers after the event, including Tracy, who said, “Wow, that was a great interview. You asked good questions that kept Kolker talking. I read HIDDEN VALLEY ROAD on a plane out to New Mexico and back. What a read! So glad I signed on to listen.” Jill said, “You did it again! The Kolker interview was great. That was an amazing book.” Thanks to our readers Michelle, Debbie and Lisa who joined us on camera to share their questions.
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Pam Jenoff, whose new historical novel, THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR, will be a Bets On pick. Inspired by true events, the book tells the story of Sadie Gault, a young woman who takes refuge with her pregnant mother in the sewers beneath the Kraków Ghetto as the Nazis begin to ship Jews to the camps in the middle of World War II. One day, Ella, a Polish girl, spies Sadie through a grate, and they strike up a conversation. Horrified by their situation, Ella offers to bring Sadie and her mother food and supplies, putting herself in potential danger. As the war worsens, so does the risk --- and each day there are challenges for both young ladies.
Pam talked to me about finding the kernel of this story and how her experiences living in Poland shaped her thoughts on the narrative. Our conversation covered a lot of ground about the unexpected consequences of war. In the late 1990s, Pam was employed by the State Department and was assigned to the U.S. Consulate in Kraków for two years. She then worked as a labor and employment attorney before turning her hand to writing. Pam continues to teach law school while she writes, and much of what she has experienced from these other parts of her life have found their way into her stories. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
We have our review of THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR from Pamela Kramer, who says, “Jenoff's writing and her depiction of day-to-day life during the Nazi occupation is engrossing. We feel connected to both girls, and the first-person narratives foster a feeling of empathy…. I appreciate Jenoff's honesty when she explains that she scrapped 90% of her first draft and basically rewrote the story. I plan on sharing that with my students to show them that first drafts are not important; it's the final version that counts. And this final version is wonderful, thanks to her perseverance, diligence and outstanding talent.” Don’t miss my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.
Lauren Weisberger, who many of you know as the author of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, is back with her latest novel, WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY, which is about sisters, their perfect lives...and their perfect lies. According to our reviewer Alison Lee, “One of Weisberger’s many strengths is her ability to write compelling characters. Peyton and Skye have such complementing personalities, and we see how their history has helped shape who they are now. We are able to empathize with them, understanding their desires, problems and behavior. I especially adored Max, who is strong, passionate and talented. Overall, Weisberger’s exploration of these family dynamics and friendships is quite engaging.” I read this last weekend, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Book groups, there is a lot to talk about here --- mostly about who really has it all.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
In Stores This Week
In addition to the aforementioned THE CLOVER GIRLS by Viola Shipman, Wendy Wax's new novel, THE BREAK-UP BOOK CLUB, released on Tuesday. Here, four women discover that breakups, like book clubs, come in many shapes and sizes and can take us on unexpected journeys. Read more about both of these titles later in this newsletter, where we also share links to Viola and Wendy's websites, as well as their book tour schedules.
A BIG Contest for Dads!
We’re happy to announce the return of our Father’s Day contest, which we’ve brought back for a 16th year! As we’ve done for the past 15 years, we’re giving away a number of fiction and nonfiction titles that we think dads will love. Five lucky readers will win all 12 of our prize books for themselves or their dad. Among them are THE LAST GREEN VALLEY by Mark Sullivan, NO ONE SUCCEEDS ALONE: Learn Everything You Can from Everyone You Can by Robert Reffkin, and WIN by Harlan Coben. Be sure to enter here by Friday, June 18th at noon ET.
Summer Reading Update
In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away the aforementioned WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY by Lauren Weisberger, along with THE SUMMER SEEKERS by Sarah Morgan, THE WAR NURSE by Tracy Enerson Wood, and all three books in Jan Phillip-Sendker’s The Art of Hearing Heartbeats trilogy: THE ART OF HEARING HEARTBEATS, A WELL-TEMPERED HEART and THE HEART REMEMBERS. Next week’s prizes will be THE STEPSISTERS by Susan Mallery, HOMELAND ELEGIES by Ayad Akhtar, and THE LIES THAT BIND by Emily Giffin, the latter two of which release in paperback on Tuesday. The first contest of the week will go live that day at noon ET.
Our Word of Mouth Contest Continues…and My New Bets On Selection
Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win our two current Word of Mouth prizes --- THE PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz and THAT SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner --- both of which we reviewed last week.
THE PLOT is my latest Bets On pick. Click here for my commentary. I look forward to interviewing Jean next week and sharing our conversation with you in next Friday’s newsletter.
Which May Paperbacks Are You Excited About?
Our poll continues to ask which of 25 paperbacks releasing this month you have read or are planning to read. Click here to cast your votes!
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Lori wrote, “Thanks so much for sending me a copy of THE PHOTOGRAPHER. It was such a surprise to have won it from attending Bookaccino Live. I'm looking forward to reading it next. I hope it's not too scary! I've been enjoying the Bookaccinos and the book group speed dating sessions. Thanks for everything you do.”
Cheri wrote, “Thank you for including the obituary for Jennifer Weiner's mom in this week's newsletter. The passing of a parent is always difficult, but Jennifer wrote the best obit that I've read in a long time. Jennifer and her family were blessed to have such a wonderful woman in their lives. Here's to all of us with expired sour cream in our refrigerators, and may we be equally eulogized by our children.”
Diane wrote this about winning THAT SUMMER: “Thanks so much Carol and staff! I’ve been with you from the beginning and still thoroughly enjoy and read all your newsletters!”
Jennifer Weiner on "Good Morning America": Here’s a terrific interview with Jen, which aired earlier this week.
"Halston" on Netflix: I am enjoying this series. It has dishy fashion conversation, much of which is over the top!
"Younger" on Hulu: I caught up on the entire seventh season this week. Yep, I am amused by how they look at the publishing business. It is very, very funny.
The Woman in the Window on Netflix: I watched it last weekend; I felt it was good, but not amazing.
Dear Evan Hansen: The Broadway musical is coming to theaters on September 24th. Here’s the trailer.
Summer Movies: Here is a guide with all the films opening in theaters (imagine that!) this summer.
"This Is Us": Next season will be the last. It will premiere midseason rather than in the fall, and there will be 18 episodes.
TikTok Humor: The team at Morning Brew has a guy who does great TikToks that are smart. I know, I cannot believe that I am talking about TikTok. Now for humor, I have a confession. I am enthralled by gender reveals on TikTok, Instagram Reels and Facebook Stories. I come across them when someone sends me to something book-related, and then I descend in a rabbit hole of what America thinks is funny. Some is; most is not. The other day I watched a reveal from a couple who also announced that they were having triplets. I have no idea why I watch them, but I do. And oh, the couple with the triplets? Two boys and a girl. And no, I will not be knitting for them.
The pool cover is off, and Tom is working on getting it to the color blue. Right now it is pale to medium green. We are taking bets on when we will be swimming. He also told me the water is very cold now, so I am not rushing that.
I have bought lots and lots of plants that need to be planted. We had a couple of ceramic pots that Tom covered in black plastic for the winter so they would not crack. When we pulled the plastic off it, we were surprised to see that many plants were growing --- plants that were annuals. We have morning glories in two pots; there are so many that we do not need to seed them more. And others are sprouting all kinds of greens that are not weeds. Trust me, other places have tons of weeds. Memorial Day is falling on the latest weekend that it can be this year, and that is when we think about summer beginning, but I think the mindset of summer is here. I am on peony watch waiting for the first buds to pop!
I have a few books to finish this week --- and a few more that I am eager to start. Oh, and as I am watching publisher previews, I have seen so many great titles for the fall. It really is a great time to be a reader.
Read on, and have a great week.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
Featured Review: WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN
AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY by Lauren Weisberger
WHERE THE GRASS IS GREEN AND THE GIRLS ARE PRETTY by Lauren Weisberger (Fiction)
A seat at the anchor desk of the most-watched morning show. An adoring husband and a Princeton-bound daughter. Peyton is that woman. She has it all. Skye, her sister, is a stay-at-home mom living in a glitzy suburb of New York. But she’s looking for something real and dreams of a life beyond the PTA and pickup. Max, Peyton’s bright and quirky 17-year-old daughter, is poised to kiss her fancy private school goodbye and head off to pursue her dreams in film. She’s waited her entire life for this opportunity. One little lie. That’s all it takes. For the illusions to crack. For resentments to surface. Suddenly the grass doesn’t look so green. And they’re left wondering: Will they have what it takes to survive the truth? Reviewed by Alison Lee.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR by Pam Jenoff
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR by Pam Jenoff (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Jennifer Jill Araya, Emily Lawrence and Nancy Peterson
Sadie Gault is 18 and living with her parents in the Kraków Ghetto during World War II. When the Nazis liquidate the ghetto, Sadie and her pregnant mother are forced to seek refuge in the perilous tunnels beneath the city. One day, Sadie looks up through a grate and sees a girl about her own age buying flowers. Ella Stepanek is an affluent Polish girl living a life of relative ease with her stepmother. While on an errand in the market, she catches a glimpse of something moving beneath a grate in the street and realizes it’s a girl hiding. Ella begins to aid Sadie, and the two become close. But as the dangers of the war worsen, their lives are set on a collision course that will test them in the face of overwhelming odds. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Pam Jenoff.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read our review.
THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's 16th Annual
Father's Day Contest: Best Books for Dad
Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and loved us. Why not show him your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? In our 16th annual "Best Books for Dad" contest, we have a selection of books that are perfect gift-giving suggestions for Dad, keeping him busy through the rest of the year. Five readers will be awarded a copy of each of our 12 featured titles. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, June 18th at noon ET.
This year's prize books are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz
THE PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz (Psychological Thriller)
Jacob Finch Bonner was once a promising novelist whose first book had some mild success. But his career has slid, and he finds himself teaching at a third-rate MFA program where he meets a student who is full of braggadocio and is completely self-absorbed. Evan Parker knows he has written a bestseller; he’s even figured out his author name. Yes, he has that kind of writerly arrogance. He runs the plot by Jake, who realizes there is something solid there.
So when Jake learns that his former student has died, he comes up with a plan. He will publish that book as his own. And it is a huge bestseller. But then one day he sees something online that can rip his world apart: You are a thief.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
Don't miss Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview
with Jean Hanff Korelitz in next week's newsletter.
Featured Review: THE FINAL TWIST by Jeffery Deaver
THE FINAL TWIST: A Colter Shaw Novel by Jeffery Deaver (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kaleo Griffith
Colter Shaw finds himself in San Francisco, where he has taken on the mission his father began years ago: finding a missing courier bag containing evidence that will bring down a corporate espionage firm responsible for hundreds, perhaps thousands, of deaths. Following the enigmatic clues his father left behind, Shaw plays cat and mouse with the company's sadistic enforcers, as he speeds from one gritty neighborhood in the City by the Bay to another. Suddenly, the job takes on a frightening urgency: Only by finding the courier bag can he expose the company and stop the murder of an entire family, slated to die in 48 hours. With the help of an unexpected figure from his past, Shaw narrows in on the truth --- and learns that the bag contains a secret that could only be described as catastrophic. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: FREEDOM by Sebastian Junger
FREEDOM by Sebastian Junger (Political Science/Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Sebastian Junger
Sebastian Junger examines the tension that lies at the heart of what it means to be human. For much of a year, Junger and three friends --- a conflict photographer and two Afghan War vets --- walked the railroad lines of the East Coast. It was an experiment in personal autonomy, but also in interdependence. Dodging railroad cops, sleeping under bridges, cooking over fires, and drinking from creeks and rivers, the four men forged a unique reliance on one another. In FREEDOM, Junger weaves his account of this journey together with primatology and boxing strategy, the history of labor strikes and Apache raiders, the role of women in resistance movements, and the brutal reality of life on the Pennsylvania frontier. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Now Available: THE CLOVER GIRLS by Viola Shipman
THE CLOVER GIRLS by Viola Shipman (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Jennifer Jill Araya, Teri Schnaubelt, Vivienne Leheny and Caitlin Kelly
Elizabeth, Veronica, Rachel and Emily met at Camp Birchwood in 1985, where over four summers they were the Clover Girls --- inseparable for those magical few weeks of freedom --- until the last summer that pulled them apart. Now approaching middle age, the women are facing struggles with their marriages, children and careers. Then Liz, V and Rachel each receive a letter from Emily with devastating news. She implores the girls who were once her best friends to reunite at Camp Birchwood one last time and repair the relationships they’d allowed to sour. But the women are not the same idealistic, confident girls who once ruled Camp Birchwood, and perhaps some friendships aren’t meant to last forever.
- Click here to visit Viola Shipman's website.
- Click here to see Viola Shipman's virtual book tour schedule.
Click here to read more about the book.
Now Available:
THE BREAK-UP BOOK CLUB by Wendy Wax
THE BREAK-UP BOOK CLUB by Wendy Wax (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Hillary Huber, Nicole Lewis, Renata Friedman and Cassandra Morris
On paper, Jazmine, Judith, Erin and Sara have little in common --- they’re very different people leading very different lives. And yet at book club meetings in an historic carriage house turned bookstore, they bond over a shared love of reading (and more than a little wine), as well as the growing realization that their lives are not turning out like they expected. Former tennis star Jazmine is a top sports agent balancing a career and single motherhood. Judith is an empty nester questioning her marriage and the supporting role she chose. Erin’s high school sweetheart and fiancé develops a bad case of cold feet, and Sara’s husband takes a job out of town, saddling Sara with a difficult mother-in-law who believes her son could have done better --- not exactly the roommate most women dream of.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to visit Wendy Wax's website.
- Click here to see Wendy Wax's book tour schedule, which includes both live and virtual events.
Click here to read more about the book.
Bookreporter.com's 17th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
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 25th at noon ET.
This year’s featured titles include:
Click here to read all the contest details and learn more about our prize books.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
From left to right: Wendy Wax, Sebastian Junger, Mary Dixie Carter
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.
Monday, May 24th at 6:30pm ET: FoxTale Book Shoppe: It’s always exciting when there is a new Wendy Wax novel out in the world. Join FoxTale Book Shoppe as they virtually celebrate the launch of THE BREAK-UP BOOK CLUB.
Monday, May 24th at 7pm ET: Baltimore County Public Library: Join the Baltimore County Public Library as they welcome New York Times bestselling authors Pam Jenoff and Karen White. Jenoff introduces her latest historical novel, THE WOMAN WITH THE BLUE STAR, a riveting tale of courage and unlikely friendship during World War II.
Monday, May 24th at 7pm ET: The Strand Book Store: Join Ayad Akhtar for the paperback launch of his latest book, HOMELAND ELEGIES. In conversation with Ayad will be HOUR OF THE WITCH author Chris Bohjalian.
Monday, May 24th at 7:15pm ET: Parnassus Books: Parnassus Books, in partnership with Nashville Public Library, Nashville Public Library Foundation, Humanities TN and Bookpage, is thrilled to welcome Sebastian Junger as a part of their Salon@615 speaker series for a discussion of his new book, FREEDOM, in conversation with David Maraniss.
Wednesday, May 26th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Alice Monroe --- will talk to Nancy Thayer, whose latest novel is FAMILY REUNION.
Wednesday, May 26th at 7pm ET: The National Arts Club: How does it feel when the novel you wrote is adapted for TV --- and becomes a hit HBO series with Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman? Jean Hanff Korelitz, author of THE UNDOING, talks shop with fellow thriller writer Scott Turow in this special event. They’ll be discussing thriller plots, screen adaptations, Korelitz’s original novel, and her newest cliffhanger, THE PLOT.
Wednesday, May 26th at 7pm ET: North of Boston Libraries with Wellesley Books: Mike Lupica will discuss his latest Sunny Randall novel, ROBERT B. PARKER'S PAYBACK, with fellow bestselling author James Patterson.
Thursday, May 27th at 1pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites: Brooke Lea Foster will join members of the Simon & Schuster team for a Facebook Live Book Club chat about SUMMER DARLINGS, which is May's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites.
Thursday, May 27th at 7pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Sebastian Junger as he discusses his new book, FREEDOM, with Dr. Seth Lerer.
Thursday, May 27th at 8pm ET: MJCCA Book Festival: MJCCA Book Festival in Your Living Room and the National JCC Literary Consortium present "A Very Special Evening with Jennifer Weiner." The author of THAT SUMMER will be in conversation with fellow New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Serle.
Thursday, May 27th at 9pm ET: Book Soup: Mary Dixie Carter will be in conversation with Mo Rocca about her debut psychological thriller, THE PHOTOGRAPHER.
"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:
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Linwood Barclay (FIND YOU FIRST)
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Elizabeth Brundage (THE VANISHING POINT)
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Laura Dave (THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME)
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Zakiya Dalila Harris (THE OTHER BLACK GIRL)
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Jean Hanff Korelitz (THE PLOT)
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Dianna Rostad (YOU BELONG HERE NOW)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
PUNCH ME UP TO THE GODS: A Memoir by Brian Broome (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Brian Broome
Brian Broome’s early years growing up in Ohio as a dark-skinned Black boy harboring crushes on other boys propel forward PUNCH ME UP TO THE GODS. Brian’s recounting of his experiences --- in all their cringe-worthy, hilarious and heartbreaking glory --- reveal a perpetual outsider awkwardly squirming to find his way in. Indiscriminate sex and escalating drug use help to soothe his hurt, young psyche, usually to uproarious and devastating effect. A no-nonsense mother and broken father play crucial roles in our misfit’s origin story. But it is Brian’s voice in the retelling that shows the true depth of vulnerability for young Black boys that is often quietly near to bursting at the seams. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
SECOND PLACE by Rachel Cusk (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Kate Fleetwood
A woman invites a famous artist to use her guesthouse in the remote coastal landscape where she lives with her family. Powerfully drawn to his paintings, she believes his vision might penetrate the mystery at the center of her life. But as a long, dry summer sets in, his provocative presence itself becomes an enigma --- and disrupts the calm of her secluded household. SECOND PLACE is a study of female fate and male privilege, the geometries of human relationships, and the moral questions that animate our lives. It reminds us of art’s capacity to uplift --- and to destroy. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
UNSETTLED GROUND by Claire Fuller (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Kim Bretton
At 51 years old, twins Jeanie and Julius still live with their mother, Dot, in rural isolation in the English countryside. The cottage they have shared their entire lives is their only protection against the modernizing world around them. Inside its walls, they make music, and in its garden, they grow everything they need to survive. To an outsider, it looks like poverty; to them, it is home. But when Dot dies unexpectedly, the world they’ve so carefully created begins to fall apart. The cottage they love, and the security it offered, is taken back by their landlord, exposing the twins to harsh truths and even harsher realities. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
BETTER, NOT BITTER: Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice by Yusef Salaam (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Yusef Salaam
No one's life is the sum of the worst things that happened to them, and during Yusef Salaam's seven years of wrongful incarceration as one of the Central Park Five, he grew from child to man, and gained a spiritual perspective on life. Yusef learned that we're all "born on purpose, with a purpose." Despite having confronted the racist heart of America while being "run over by the spiked wheels of injustice," Yusef channeled his energy and pain into something positive, not just for himself but for other marginalized people and communities. BETTER, NOT BITTER is the first time that one of the now Exonerated Five is telling his individual story, in his own words. Reviewed by Jack Kramer.
GOBLIN: A Novel in Six Novellas by Josh Malerman (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Dominic Hoffman
Goblin seems like any other ordinary small town. But with Josh Malerman as your tour guide, you’ll discover the secrets that hide behind its closed doors. These six novellas tell the story of a place where the rain is always falling, nighttime is always near, and your darkest fears and desires await. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub and Ray Palen.
- Click here to read Joe Hartlaub’s review.
- Click here to read Ray Palen’s review.
THE NEXT WIFE by Kaira Rouda (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Megan Tusing, Teri Clark Linden, Stephen Graybill and Rachel L. Jacobs
Kate Nelson had it all --- a flourishing company founded with her husband, John; a happy marriage; and a daughter, Ashlyn. Until John left for another woman. Half his age, Tish Nelson has cultivated a friendship with Ashlyn and believes she’s won. Despite her youth, influence, a life of luxury and a new husband, there’s a lot of baggage: namely, his first wife --- and suspicions of his infidelity. Maybe it’s time for a romantic getaway, far from his vindictive ex. If Kate plans on getting John back, Tish is one step ahead of her. But what happens next is something neither Kate nor Tish saw coming. As best-laid plans come undone, there’s no telling what a woman will do in the name of love --- and revenge. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
THE HARD CROWD: Essays 2000-2020 by Rachel Kushner (Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Rachel Kushner
Rachel Kushner gathers a selection of her writing from over the course of the last 20 years that addresses the most pressing political, artistic and cultural issues of our times --- and illuminates the themes and real-life terrain that underpin her fiction. In 19 razor-sharp essays, THE HARD CROWD spans literary journalism, memoir, cultural criticism and writing about art and literature, including pieces on Jeff Koons, Denis Johnson and Marguerite Duras. Kushner takes us on a journey through a Palestinian refugee camp, an illegal motorcycle race down the Baja Peninsula, 1970s wildcat strikes in Fiat factories, her love of classic cars, and her young life in the music scene of her hometown, San Francisco. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.
THE WINDOW SEAT: Notes from a Life in Motion by Aminatta Forna (Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Aminatta Forna
In this collection of new and previously published essays, Aminatta Forna writes intimately about displacement, trauma and memory, love, and how we coexist and encroach on the non-human world. Movement is a constant here. In the title piece, “The Window Seat,” she reveals the unexpected enchantments of commercial air travel. In “The Last Vet,” time spent shadowing Dr. Jalloh, the only veterinarian in Sierra Leone, as he works with the street dogs of Freetown, becomes a meditation on what a society’s treatment of animals tells us about its principles. In “Crossroads,” Forna examines race in America from an African perspective, and in “Power Walking,” she describes what it means to walk in the world in a Black woman’s body. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE BETRAYALS by Bridget Collins (Historical Fantasy/Magical Realism)
Audiobook available, read by Sam Woolf and Sarah Ovens
At Montverre, an ancient and elite academy hidden high in the mountains, society’s best and brightest are trained for excellence in the grand jeu --- an arcane and mysterious competition that combines music, art, math, poetry and philosophy. Léo Martin once excelled at Montverre but lost his passion for scholarly pursuits after a violent tragedy. Now he has been exiled back to Montverre. Once the exclusive bastion of men, Montverre’s most prestigious post is now held by a woman: Claire Dryden, the head of the great game. As the legendary Midsummer Game approaches --- the climax of the academy’s year --- long-buried secrets rise to the surface and centuries-old traditions are shockingly overturned. Reviewed by Roz Shea.
THE QUIET BOY by Ben H. Winters (Legal Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by William DeMeritt
In 2008, a cheerful ambulance-chasing lawyer named Jay Shenk persuades the grieving Keener family to sue a private LA hospital. Their son Wesley has been transformed by a routine surgery into a kind of golem, absent all normal functioning or personality, walking in endless empty circles around his hospital room. In 2019, Shenk --- still in practice but a shell of his former self --- is hired to defend Wesley Keener’s father when he is charged with murdering the expert witness from the 2008 hospital case. Shenk’s adopted son, a fragile teenager in 2008, is a wayward adult, though he may find his purpose when he investigates what really happened to the murdered witness. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
PARADOX LAKE by Vincent Zandri (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Matt K Baker
Sculptor and single mom Rose Conley is haunted by her tragic past and anxious about her uncertain future. She needs to get away from it all. On sabbatical from the college where she teaches art, she and her daughter rent a house for three months in the Adirondack lakeside community of Paradox. Rose desperately needs time alone with her 12-year-old daughter before the teenage years hit. In the wake of the premature deaths of her oldest daughter, Allison, and her husband, Charlie, Rose wants nothing more than to nurture Anna every moment she can. But idyllic Paradox Lake transforms into a nightmare when a monster from the past invades Rose’s retreat --- and targets her daughter for his special brand of horror. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on May 25th
Below are some notable titles releasing on May 25th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks available the week of May 24th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
HONEYCOMB written by Joanne M. Harris, illustrated by Charles Vess (Fantasy/Short Stories)
HONEYCOMB is a lushly illustrated set of dark, captivating fairy tales from the bestselling author of THE GOSPEL OF LOKI with illustrator Charles Vess (STARDUST).
IMPOSTER SYNDROME by Kathy Wang (Thriller/Satire)
This sharp and prescient novel is about women in the workplace, the power of Big Tech, and the looming threat of foreign espionage.
LANGUAGES OF TRUTH: Essays 2003-2020 by Salman Rushdie (Essays)
In his latest collection of nonfiction, Salman Rushdie brings together insightful and inspiring essays, criticism and speeches that focus on his relationship with the written word and solidify his place as one of the most original thinkers of our time.
LEGACY by Nora Roberts (Romantic Suspense)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Nora Roberts presents LEGACY, a new novel of a mother and a daughter, of ambition and romance, and of a traumatic past reawakened by a terrifying threat.
THE PHOTOGRAPHER by Mary Dixie Carter (Psychological Thriller)
Mary Dixie Carter's THE PHOTOGRAPHER is a slyly observed, suspenseful story of envy and obsession, told in the mesmerizing, irresistible voice of a character who will make you doubt that seeing is ever believing.
THE PRODIGAL DAUGHTER: A Linda Wallheim Mystery Set in Mormon Utah by Mette Ivie Harrison (Mystery)
In the wake of the #MeToo movement, has it become easier to speak out about sexual assault in religious communities?
THE SABOTEURS: An Isaac Bell Adventure by Clive Cussler and Jack Du Brul (Historical Thriller/Adventure)
Detective Isaac Bell's investigation into an attempted assassination brings him to the construction site of the Panama Canal --- and straight into a nest of vipers.
THE STEPSISTERS by Susan Mallery (Fiction)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery pens a love story of a different sort --- a heartfelt tale of friendship between two women who used to be sisters.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: May Paperback Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following fiction titles releasing in paperback in May have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
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BEFORE SHE WAS HELEN by Caroline B. Cooney
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THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES by Kristin Harmel
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CHAOS by Iris Johansen
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THE END OF THE DAY by Bill Clegg
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FORTUNE AND GLORY: A Stephanie Plum Novel, by Janet Evanovich
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THE GIVER OF STARS by Jojo Moyes
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HAMNET: A Novel of the Plague, by Maggie O'Farrell
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HER LAST FLIGHT by Beatriz Williams
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HIDEAWAY by Nora Roberts
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HOMELAND ELEGIES by Ayad Akhtar
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THE LAST FLIGHT by Julie Clark
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THE LIES THAT BIND by Emily Giffin
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THE LIONS OF FIFTH AVENUE by Fiona Davis
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MALORIE: A Bird Box Novel, by Josh Malerman
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THE MIRROR & THE LIGHT by Hilary Mantel
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MONOGAMY by Sue Miller
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THE MOTION OF THE BODY THROUGH SPACE by Lionel Shriver
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ONE BY ONE by Ruth Ware
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THE PARIS HOURS by Alex George
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THE REVELATORS: A Quinn Colson Novel, by Ace Atkins
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SAINT X by Alexis Schaitkin
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SEX AND VANITY by Kevin Kwan
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THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides
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SQUEEZE ME by Carl Hiaasen
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TWO TRUTHS AND A LIE by Meg Mitchell Moore
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, May 28th at noon ET.
Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What
You're Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!
Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from May 14th to May 28th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE PLOT by Jean Hanff Korelitz and THAT SUMMER by Jennifer Weiner.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For rules and guidelines, click here.
- To see reader comments from previous contest periods, click here.
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