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I am glad America is having a birthday, as I am craving a long weekend. Our entire amazing team has been working flat out these past few months, and a recharge is on the menu, for sure. We can use some time to watch fireworks exploding in the sky!
We have been eating many peaches, so I had to snag some for a pie before they all disappeared. It’s been getting raves; the recipe is from THE PIE AND PASTRY BIBLE by Rose Levy Beranbaum, which I feel like I have had here forever. For the record, I loathe making pie crust, and the frozen one from Trader Joe’s has gotten huge marks from my family.
Last Sunday, I went to a farmers' market located near Cory’s apartment and picked up lots of rhubarb. I know…lots. Again citing my lack of love for making pastry dough, I decided to try the rhubarb cream cheese filling from the hand pies that I made a few weeks ago inside Pillsbury flaky dinner rolls. It was a huge success according to Tom and Greg. This weekend, I want to make a rhubarb cake that I found a recipe for in DESSERT PERSON by Claire Saffitz, and I am freezing a strawberry rhubarb pie...or maybe two.
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Kate White, whose new stand-alone thriller, THE FIANCÉE, will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Summer, her husband Gabe, her nine-year-old stepson Henry, and other relatives have gathered at her in-laws’ 60-acre estate for their annual family get-together. Enter Hannah, Summer's brother-in-law's new girlfriend. Although she seems familiar to Summer, Hannah claims they've never met. When a member of the family dies, Summer starts an investigation of her own to prove it couldn't have been natural causes, thinking that Hannah must've been involved and needs to be exposed.
Kate and I worked together many moons ago at Mademoiselle before she became Editor-in-Chief of Cosmopolitan, so it was a real pleasure to catch up with her. She talked about how she became a published author and the lessons she learned in the process, explained how she pursues her craft, and gave us an insider look at her next book. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
Our reviewer Norah Piehl says that THE FIANCÉE is “at its heart a classic whodunit. You certainly will want to tuck it in your overnight bag whenever you’re able to take that perfect vacation you’ve been dreaming about." My Bets On commentary will appear in next week’s newsletter. I do agree with Norah; pack this one for the weekend!
It’s November 1991. Nirvana's in the tape deck, George H. W. Bush is in the White House, and movie-obsessed college student Charlie Jordan is in a car with a man who might be a serial killer. That’s the intriguing setup of Riley Sager’s new thriller, SURVIVE THE NIGHT, which unfolds over the course of just a single car ride. Trapped in a terrifying game of cat and mouse played out on pitch-black roads and in neon-lit parking lots, Charlie knows that the only way to win is to survive the night.
According to Norah, “Sager cleverly disrupts the narrative with surreal moments of disconnection and confusion that start to mirror what Charlie is experiencing. As a result, the lines between reality and fantasy begin to blur. Like Charlie, readers will find themselves distrusting their own perceptions as the book navigates an ever-windier route through a dark and dangerous landscape.”
Marie Benedict is back with another historical novel featuring a strong but mostly forgotten and ignored woman. In THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN, she teams up with acclaimed author Victoria Christopher Murray to tell the remarkable story of J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, a Black American who passed as white in order to protect her family and legacy. It was announced this week that the book is July's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick. And after our June “Bookaccino Live” preview event, the book was selected as the one that our readers were anticipating the most. I am trying to get a date to interview Marie and Victoria!
Our reviewer Rebecca Munro calls the book "both a stunning tribute to an amazingly courageous woman and a searingly timely exploration of race relations in America" and "an extraordinary novel that will have you frantically googling the key figures to learn more. I won’t be ready to part with Belle and her contemporaries for a long time after finishing this one."
Word of Mouth Reminder
SURVIVE THE NIGHT and THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN are our current Word of Mouth prizes. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll have the opportunity to win both these highly anticipated novels. Please do so by Friday, July 9th at noon ET.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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HELL OF A BOOK: Jenna Bush Hager has selected Jason Mott’s latest novel as this month’s "Read with Jenna" Today Show Book Club pick. In the book, a Black author sets out on a cross-country publicity tour to promote his bestselling novel. Jenna calls it "original, heartbreaking, poignant and, in moments, hilarious" and goes on to say, "It is a timely exploration into what it means to be a Black man living in America. It’s a beautiful story about family love and dedication to finding out who we are."
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THE VIXEN: Set in the glamorous world of 1950s New York publishing, Francine Prose’s new novel tells the story of a young man tasked with editing a steamy bodice-ripper based on the recent trial and execution of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg. This assignment will reveal the true cost of entering that seductive, dangerous new world.
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CHOOSE ME: Tess Gerritsen and Gary Braver join forces to pen this sexy murder mystery about a reckless affair and dangerous secrets. Our reviewer Pamela Kramer says, “This solid mystery forces us to consider not just the significance and validity of the #MeToo movement but also the aftermath of such an affair.”
Summer Reading Update
In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away the aforementioned THE FIANCÉE by Kate White, along with LADY SUNSHINE by Amy Mason Doan (which we also review this week) and RUBY FALLS by Deborah Goodrich Royce. Next week’s prize will be FALLING by T. J. Newman, July’s #1 Indie Next pick and an upcoming Bets On selection. The contest will go live on the day it releases, Tuesday, July 6th at noon ET. Don’t miss our review of the book and my interview with T. J. (she was amazingly fun to talk to!) in next Friday’s newsletter.
July’s Books on Screen Feature
We’ve updated our Books on Screen feature for this month. July's roundup includes the six-episode miniseries "Catch and Kill: The Podcast Tapes" on HBO; the conclusion of "Lisey’s Story" on Apple TV+; the series premieres of the "Gossip Girl" reboot on HBO Max and "The Pursuit of Love" on Amazon Prime Video; Netflix's Fear Street trilogy, The Last Letter from Your Lover and season three of "Virgin River"; and the DVD releases of Street Gang: How We Got to Sesame Street and Walking with Herb.
Remember to Vote in Our Poll!
Our poll continues to ask if you pre-order books online or at bookstores, or reserve books at libraries. Click here to let us know what you do; we always love hearing your feedback on these questions!
Last Chance to Enter Our Special Contest and Author Chat Opportunity for Chandler Baker’s Forthcoming Novel on ReadingGroupGuides.com
This is your last newsletter reminder to enter our ReadingGroupGuides.com contest for THE HUSBANDS by Chandler Baker, which releases on August 3rd and will be a Bets On pick.
Calling to mind a STEPFORD WIVES gender-swap, the novel imagines a world where the burden of the “second shift” is equally shared --- and what it may take to get there. Book club favorite Sally Hepworth raves, “Chandler Baker, queen of the feminist thriller, has delivered once again! THE HUSBANDS is a poignant exploration of what it would take for women to have it all...and it’s as sobering as you might imagine. My head is still spinning. I can already hear the book club discussions!”
If you’d like to be one of the 15 groups who will win up to 10 advance copies of the book and share their comments on it, all you have to do is fill out this form by Wednesday, July 7th at noon ET. Of these 15 groups, five will be chosen to chat with Chandler via Zoom!
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Lisa wrote, “What a lovely surprise yesterday to get a book from the recent 'Bookaccino Live' event! I’ve read THE WINTER PEOPLE and THE NIGHT SISTER by Jennifer McMahon, and both are excellent.” Those who join us live for "Bookaccino Live" are given a link to a survey to share the titles from the presentation that they want to read most. Three of the respondents win a book. Lisa won Jennifer McMahon's THE DROWNING KIND; I love that that prize was a hit.
Beth wrote about winning THE MAIDENS and MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS in our Word of Mouth contest: “What a coincidence! I planned on sending you a note today anyhow. I want to thank you for your warning at the beginning of 'Bookaccino Live' Book Group last night. You said that anyone who hadn’t already read THE LAST FLIGHT should not watch it, but instead read the book and then access the recording of the event. I have not read the book yet. Now I also want to thank you for these two books I have been wanting to read. I always review the books that I read and post the reviews all over the internet, including Bookreporter.com. I’ll be sure to send you a note when I finish reading the books.”
Michelle wrote, “The Julie Clark interview has multiple spoilers for careful listeners. Wish I had read THE LAST FLIGHT before listening. I am a huge fan of your work.” While I mentioned it at the start of the event, we are planning to include a "Spoiler Alert" note at the beginning of future videos post-event so people are clear that spoilers are part of these discussions.
Rose wrote, “My husband and I ordered two 25-lb. boxes of Georgia peaches from The Peach Truck. I have made peach Dutch baby, peach cobbler (two batches), 12 quarts of canned peaches, three pints of peach butter, five frozen bags of peaches, and I still have eaten about 15, while sharing some with friends and neighbors. They are delicious!!! My first attempt at canning peaches!” I am soooo impressed with what Rose has made. Our peaches are from Georgia Peach Truck. We had ordered one box of peaches to pick up in mid-July, and I just ordered a second one!
Connie wrote, “I am so jealous that you are getting boxes of peaches. I wish I had a decent peach to eat. Hope you provide some peach recipes soon.” They will be coming!
Elin Hilderbrand: I missed adding this last week --- Elin Hilderbrand talking about retiring from writing beach books.
"Bosch" on Amazon Prime: I finished watching the last season of "Bosch" --- and I enjoyed it. It is so hard to see a series that you love come to an end. Here is information about the spinoff series. Note: It contains spoilers, so do not read it until you finish watching the original series.
"The Bold Type" on Hulu: My complete guilty pleasure show wrapped this week. I love a frothy show that just makes me smile...and, okay, toss some popcorn at the television when they are over-the-top wrong on what would actually happen in magazine publishing.
Lady Boss: The Jackie Collins Story on CNN: I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary about Jackie Collins!
"Notorious: Ghislaine Maxwell" on Hulu: Originally an ABC "20/20" show, it tells so much of her story that parallels Jeffrey Epstein’s, plus more that I did not know.
Tom designed me a herb garden rack that allows them to get enough sun and for me to have them accessible enough to cut what I need. Pure genius. He also crafted rings to hold up the plants that need support. I am very lucky to have married a creative engineer!
Greg is off to Maine this weekend, because rare is the holiday weekend when Greg does not have a vacation plan. Yes, he is his mother’s son; that was me in my 20s too. Right now I have no desire to sit in traffic for even 10 minutes, so I am going to enjoy the pool, the gardens, making some interesting dinners and reading a stack of books. Tom’s younger sister is in town and may come by on Sunday. We may make some other spontaneous plans, but no plans are also great!
And in one of my sons’ favorite lines from a past newsletter, “Have a firecracker 4th!” Oh, and speaking of celebrations, we got some great ideas from you for celebrating our 25th anniversary later this summer. Keep them coming!
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: SURVIVE THE NIGHT by Riley Sager
SURVIVE THE NIGHT by Riley Sager (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Savannah Gilmore
Josh Baxter, the man behind the wheel, is a virtual stranger to Charlie. They met at the campus ride board, each looking to share the long drive home to Ohio. Both have good reasons for wanting to get away. For Charlie, it’s guilt and grief over the murder of her best friend, who became the third victim of the man known as the Campus Killer. For Josh, it’s to help care for his sick father. Or so he says. Charlie has her doubts. There’s something suspicious about Josh. As they travel an empty highway in the dead of night, an increasingly worried Charlie begins to think she’s sharing a car with the Campus Killer. Is Josh truly dangerous? Or is Charlie’s suspicion merely a figment of her movie-fueled imagination? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN
by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray
July’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Robin Miles
In her 20s, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture in New York City society and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps create a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret, one she must protect at all costs. She was born not Belle da Costa Greene but Belle Marion Greener. She is the daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and a well-known advocate for equality. Belle’s complexion isn’t dark because of her alleged Portuguese heritage that lets her pass as white --- her complexion is dark because she is African American. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to see why the book is July's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE FIANCÉE by Kate White
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE FIANCÉE by Kate White (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Cindy Kay
Summer is looking forward to a break from hustling for acting work in Manhattan when she, her husband Gabe, and Gabe’s nine-year-old son arrive at the annual family get-together at her in-laws’ sprawling estate. But this year, Gabe’s brother Nick has invited his new flame Hannah, whom Summer immediately recognizes from a few years before. Oddly, her brother-in-law’s girlfriend claims not to know her. Yet she charms the other family members, and after Nick announces that he’s proposed to Hannah, Summer doesn’t have much choice but to grin and bear it. Then the reunion is rocked by tragedy when a family member is found dead. Though the doctors attribute the loss to natural causes, a grieving Summer fears that the too-good-to-be-true Hannah is involved, even as Gabe dismisses her suspicions. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Kate White.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read our review.
THE FIANCÉE will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.
Featured Review: HELL OF A BOOK by Jason Mott
July’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club Pick
HELL OF A BOOK by Jason Mott (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by JD Jackson and Ronald Peet
A Black author sets out on a cross-country publicity tour to promote his bestselling novel. That storyline drives HELL OF A BOOK and is the scaffolding of something much larger and urgent. Jason Mott’s novel also tells the story of Soot, a young Black boy living in a rural town in the recent past, and The Kid, a possibly imaginary child who appears to the author on his tour. While this book entertains and is at once about family, love of parents and children, art and money, it’s also about the nation’s reckoning with a tragic police shooting playing over and over again on the news. And with what it can mean to be Black in America. Who has been killed? Who is The Kid? Will the author finish his book tour, and what kind of world will he leave behind? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to see why the book is July's "Read with Jenna" pick.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE VIXEN by Francine Prose
THE VIXEN by Francine Prose (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Tristan Morris
It’s 1953, and Simon Putnam has just been hired by a distinguished New York publishing firm. But his first assignment --- editing The Vixen, the Patriot and the Fanatic, a lurid bodice-ripper improbably based on the recent trial and execution of Ethel and Julius Rosenberg --- makes him question the cost of admission. Simon has a secret that, at the height of the Red Scare and the McCarthy hearings, he cannot reveal: his beloved mother was a childhood friend of Ethel Rosenberg’s. As the confluence of sex, money, politics and power spirals out of Simon’s control, he must face what he’s lost by exchanging the loving safety of his middle-class Jewish parents’ Coney Island apartment for the witty, whiskey-soaked orbit of his charismatic boss. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: CHOOSE ME
by Tess Gerritsen and Gary Braver
CHOOSE ME by Tess Gerritsen and Gary Braver (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Kirsten Potter
Taryn Moore is young, beautiful and brilliant. So why would she kill herself? When Detective Frankie Loomis arrives on the scene to investigate the girl’s fatal plunge from her apartment balcony, she knows in her gut there’s more to the story. Her instincts are confirmed when surprise information is revealed that could have been reason enough for Taryn’s suicide --- or a motive for her murder. To English professor Jack Dorian, Taryn was the ultimate fantasy: intelligent, adoring and completely off limits. But there was also a dark side to Taryn, a dangerous streak that threatened those to whom she turned her affections --- including Jack. And now that she’s dead, his problems are just beginning. After Frankie uncovers a trove of sordid secrets, it becomes clear that Jack may know the truth. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Special Contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Enter to Win Up to 10 Advance Copies of THE HUSBANDS
for Your Group and Share Your Comments on It,
Plus an Opportunity to Chat with Chandler Baker
From Chandler Baker, the New York Times bestselling author of WHISPER NETWORK, comes THE HUSBANDS, a novel that asks: To what lengths will a woman go for a little more help from her husband? We are giving 15 groups the opportunity to win up to 10 advance copies of the book, which releases on August 3rd, and share their comments on it. In addition, five of these winning groups will be selected to chat with Chandler via Zoom. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, July 7th at noon ET.
THE HUSBANDS by Chandler Baker (Domestic Thriller/Mystery)
Nora Spangler is a successful attorney, but when it comes to domestic life, she packs the lunches, schedules the doctor appointments, knows where the extra paper towel rolls are, and designs and orders the holiday cards. Her husband works hard, too...but why does it seem like she is always working so much harder? When the Spanglers go house hunting in Dynasty Ranch, an exclusive suburban neighborhood, Nora meets a group of high-powered women with enviably supportive husbands. When she agrees to help with a resident’s wrongful death case, she is pulled into the lives of the women there. As the case unravels, Nora uncovers a plot that may explain the secret to having it all. One that’s worth killing for.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com’s 2021 Virtual Vacation Reads:
Books Set in Getaway Locations
Bookreporter has a way for you to virtually travel with our list of books set in vacation locales. Escape to idyllic spots like Nantucket, Cape Cod, Malibu, the Catskills, Charleston and Palm Beach --- along with many others --- in our 2021 Virtual Vacation Reads feature. Pick your book(s) to embark on the summer vacation you've been dreaming of. You’ll only have to figure out how to send postcards!
Please note: For your convenience, we have organized these books both by location and alphabetically by title. We also have included links to indie bookstores that are at or near each of these locations, so you can pay them a virtual visit as well! May we suggest that you buy these books from them?
Click here to see our 2021 Virtual Vacation Reads feature.
Bookreporter.com's 17th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
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 6th at noon ET.
This year’s featured titles include:
Click here to read all the contest details and learn more about our prize books.
July’s Books on Screen Feature
From left to right: T. J. Newman, Connor Sullivan, Catherine Raven
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, July 5th at 8pm ET: Murder By The Book: Join Shamus Award-winning author David Rosenfelt, in conversation with Jeffrey B. Burton and Spencer Quinn, for a virtual discussion of his latest Andy Carpenter mystery, DOG EAT DOG.
Monday, July 5th at 10pm ET: Changing Hands Bookstore: Former Changing Hands bookseller and local author T. J. Newman will present her debut novel, FALLING. She will be in conversation with Don Winslow. Please note: This also will be an in-person event.
Wednesday, July 7th at 7pm ET: Flint Memorial Library: Join writing duo Lynne and Valerie Constantine, aka Liv Constantine, for a thrilling conversation about their new book, THE STRANGER IN THE MIRROR, with moderator Hank Phillippi Ryan.
Wednesday, July 7th 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 celebrate the launch of Kristin's new novel, THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS.
Wednesday, July 7th at 8pm ET: Country Bookshelf: Country Bookshelf is over the moon to welcome Montana writer Catherine Raven to their virtual stage to share her extraordinary memoir, FOX AND I, with Outside Magazine editor Tim Cahill.
Thursday, July 8th at 6pm ET: Northshire Bookstore: Kate White will present her latest thriller, THE FIANCÉE, in conversation with Lisa Unger (CONFESSIONS ON THE 7:45).
Thursday, July 8th at 7pm ET: Georgia Center for the Book: Join Georgia Center for the Book for a discussion with Cherie Jones and Vanessa Riley, moderated by Nicki Salcedo. They will discuss their new books, HOW THE ONE-ARMED SISTER SWEEPS HER HOUSE and ISLAND QUEEN.
Thursday, July 8th at 7pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Connor Sullivan as he discusses his debut novel, SLEEPING BEAR, in conversation with Matthew Quirk.
Thursday, July 8th at 8pm ET: Boswell Books and Books & Company: Christina Clancy will be in conversation with Liam Callahan about her latest novel, SHOULDER SEASON.
Thursday, July 8th at 9pm ET: Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Linda Castillo will discuss FALLEN, her new mystery starring Chief of Police Kate Burkholder, with Barbara Peters.
Friday, July 9th at 9pm ET: Vroman's Bookstore: T. J. Newman will be in conversation with Lou Berney about her first thriller, FALLING.
"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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Elizabeth Brundage (THE VANISHING POINT)
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T. J. Newman (FALLING)
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Dianna Rostad (YOU BELONG HERE NOW)
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Scott Shepherd (THE LAST COMMANDMENT: An Austin Grant of Scotland Yard Novel)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
MOON LAKE by Joe R. Lansdale (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Jason Culp
Daniel Russell was only 13 years old when his father tried to kill them both by driving their car into Moon Lake. Miraculously surviving the crash --- and growing into adulthood --- Daniel returns to the site of this traumatic incident in the hopes of recovering his father's car and bones. As he attempts to finally put to rest the memories that have plagued him for years, he discovers something even more shocking among the wreckage that has ties to a twisted web of dark deeds, old grudges and strange murders. As Daniel diligently follows where the mysterious trail of vengeance leads, he unveils the heroic revelation at its core. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
PACK UP THE MOON by Kristan Higgins (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Dion Graham and Xe Sands
Joshua and Lauren are the perfect couple. Newly married, they're wildly in love, each on a successful and rewarding career path. Then Lauren is diagnosed with a terminal illness. As Lauren's disease progresses, Joshua struggles to make the most of the time he has left with his wife and to come to terms with his future --- a future without the only woman he's ever loved. He's so consumed with finding a way to avoid the inevitable ending that he never imagines his life after Lauren. But Lauren has a plan to keep her husband moving forward. A plan hidden in the letters she leaves him. In those letters, one for every month in the year after her death, Lauren leads Joshua on a journey through pain, anger and denial. Reviewed by Alison Lee.
HOME STRETCH by Graham Norton (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Graham Norton
It is 1987, and a small Irish community is preparing for a wedding. The day before the ceremony, a group of young friends, including the bride and groom, are involved in an accident. Three survive. Three are killed. The lives of the families are shattered, and the rifts between them ripple throughout the small town. Connor survived, but living among the angry and the mourning is almost as hard as carrying the shame of having been the driver. He leaves the only place he knows for another life, taking his secrets with him. Eventually he makes a home for himself in New York, where he finds shelter and the possibility of forging a new life. But the secrets will not be silenced, and Connor will have to confront his past. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
LADY SUNSHINE by Amy Mason Doan (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Ann Marie Gideon
In the summer of 1979, Jackie Pierce spent three months of infinite freedom at her bohemian uncle’s sprawling estate on the California coast. She and her cousin Willa fell into a fast friendship…until the summer abruptly ended in tragedy, and Willa silently slipped away into the night. Twenty years later, Jackie unexpectedly inherits The Sandcastle and returns there to ready it for sale. It turns out that before her estranged aunt’s death, she had promised an up-and-coming producer he could record a tribute album to her late uncle at the property’s studio. When a piece of the past resurfaces and sparks new questions about Willa’s disappearance, Jackie must discover if the dark secret she’s kept ever since is even the truth at all. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
KATHARINE PARR, THE SIXTH WIFE by Alison Weir (Historical Fiction)
Having sent his much-beloved but deceitful young wife Katheryn Howard to her beheading, King Henry fixes his lonely eyes on a more mature woman: 30-year-old, twice-widowed Katharine Parr. She, however, is in love with Sir Thomas Seymour, brother to the late Queen Jane. Aware of his rival, Henry sends him abroad, leaving Katharine no choice but to become Henry’s sixth queen in 1543. The king is no longer in any condition to father a child, but Katharine is content to mother his three children: Mary, Elizabeth, and the longed-for male heir, Edward. Four years into the marriage, Henry dies, leaving England’s throne to nine-year-old Edward, and Katharine's life takes a more complicated turn. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.
THE NIGHT HAWKS: A Ruth Galloway Mystery by Elly Griffiths (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Jane McDowell
Ruth Galloway is back as head of archaeology at the University of North Norfolk when a group of local metal detectorists --- the so-called Night Hawks --- uncovers Bronze Age artifacts on the beach, alongside a recently deceased body, just washed ashore. Not long after, the same detectorists uncover a murder-suicide --- a scientist and his wife found at their farmhouse, long thought to be haunted by the Black Shuck, a humongous black dog, a harbinger of death. The further DCI Nelson probes into both cases, the more intertwined they become, and the closer they circle to David Brown, the new lecturer Ruth has recently hired, who seems always to turn up wherever Ruth goes. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE LIBRARY OF THE DEAD by T. L. Huchu (Supernatural Thriller/Fantasy)
Audiobook available, read by Tinashe Warikandwa
Ropa dropped out of school to become a ghostalker. Now she speaks to Edinburgh’s dead, carrying messages to those they left behind. A girl has to earn a living, and it seems harmless enough. Until, that is, the dead whisper that someone is bewitching children --- leaving them husks, empty of joy and strength. It’s on Ropa’s patch, so she feels honor-bound to investigate. But what she learns will rock her world. Ropa will dice with death as she calls on Zimbabwean magic and Scottish pragmatism to hunt down clues. And although underground Edinburgh hides a wealth of dark secrets, she also discovers an occult library, a magical mentor and some unexpected allies. Yet as shadows lengthen, will the hunter become the hunted? Reviewed by Austin Ruh.
WALKING ON COWRIE SHELLS: Stories by Nana Nkweti (Fiction/Short Stories)
In her genre-bending debut story collection, Nana Nkweti mixes deft realism with clever inversions of genre. In the Caine Prize finalist story “It Takes a Village, Some Say,” Nkweti skewers racial prejudice and the practice of international adoption, delivering a sly tale about a teenage girl who leverages her adoptive parents to fast-track her fortunes. In other stories, she vaults past realism, upending genre expectations in a satirical romp about a jaded PR professional trying to spin a zombie outbreak in West Africa. In between these two ends of the spectrum, there’s everything from an aspiring graphic novelist at a comic con to a murder investigation driven by statistics to a story organized by the changing hairstyles of the main character. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
LIE BESIDE ME by Gytha Lodge (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Louise Brealey and John Hopkins
Louise wakes up. Her head aches, her mouth is dry, her memory is fuzzy --- but she suspects she’s done something bad. She rolls over toward her husband, Niall. The man who, until recently, made her feel loved. But it’s not Niall lying beside her. In fact, she’s never seen this man before. And he’s not breathing. As Louise desperately struggles to piece her memories back together, it’s clear to Jonah Sheens and his team that she is their prime suspect --- though they soon find she’s not the only one with something to hide. Did she do it? And, if not, can they catch the real killer before they strike again? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
HEATWAVE by Victor Jestin (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Joe Eyre
Seventeen-year-old Leo is sitting in an empty playground at night, listening to the sound of partying and pop music filtering in from the beach, when he sees another, more popular boy strangle himself with the ropes of the swings. Then, in a panic, Leo drags him to the beach and buries him. Over the next 24 hours, Leo wanders around the campsite like a sleepwalker, haunted by guilt and fear, and distracted by his desire for a girl named Luce. Meanwhile, the teenage summer rituals continue all around him --- the fighting and flirting, the smell of salt and sunscreen, the tinny announcements from the loudspeaker, and above all, the crushing, relentless heat. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on July 6th
Below are some notable titles releasing on July 6th 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 July 5th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
THE BONE CODE: A Temperance Brennan Novel by Kathy Reichs (Thriller)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her 20th gripping novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, whose examinations, 15 years apart, of unidentified bodies ignite a terrifying series of events.
DEAR MISS METROPOLITAN by Carolyn Ferrell (Fiction)
Carolyn Ferrell is an extraordinary and original writer whose first novel explores the intersections of grief and rage, personal strength and healing --- and what we owe one another.
DOG EAT DOG: An Andy Carpenter Mystery by David Rosenfelt (Mystery)
Lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, work to free a man who risked it all to help a dog in need.
FALLEN by Linda Castillo (Mystery/Thriller)
A rebellious Amish woman leaves the Plain life, but the secrets she takes with her will lead Chief of Police Kate Burkholder down a dark path to danger and death.
FALLING by T. J. Newman (Thriller)
You just boarded a flight to New York. There are 143 other passengers onboard. What you don’t know is that 30 minutes before the flight, your pilot’s family was kidnapped. For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die.
THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS by Kristin Harmel (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES returns with an evocative coming-of-age World War II story about a young woman who uses her knowledge of the wilderness to help Jewish refugees escape the Nazis --- until a secret from her past threatens everything.
FOX AND I: An Uncommon Friendship by Catherine Raven (Memoir)
FOX AND I is a poignant and remarkable tale of friendship, growth and coping with inevitable loss --- and how that loss can be transformed into meaning.
THE GRANDMOTHER PLOT by Caroline B. Cooney (Mystery)
THE GRANDMOTHER PLOT is the story of a young man who can't seem to straighten out his life, his beloved grandmother, who can't seem to remembers hers, and the shadowy threat that hangs over them both.
AN IRISH HOSTAGE: A Bess Crawford Mystery by Charles Todd (Historical Mystery)
In the uneasy peace following World War I, nurse Bess Crawford runs into trouble and treachery in Ireland --- in this 12th book in the New York Times bestselling mystery series.
ISLAND QUEEN by Vanessa Riley (Historical Fiction)
This remarkable, sweeping historical novel is based on the incredible true life story of Dorothy Kirwan Thomas, a free woman of color who rose from slavery to become one of the wealthiest and most powerful landowners in the colonial West Indies.
NINE LIVES by Danielle Steel (Fiction)
A woman who longs to avoid risk at all cost learns that men who love danger are the most exciting in this moving novel from New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel.
RAZORBLADE TEARS by S. A. Cosby (Mystery/Thriller)
Provocative and fast-paced, S. A. Cosby's RAZORBLADE TEARS is a story of bloody retribution, heartfelt change and maybe even redemption.
SHOULDER SEASON by Christina Clancy (Fiction)
SHOULDER SEASON is a dazzling portrait of a young woman coming into her own, the youthful allure of sex, drugs, and rock and roll, and what we lose --- and gain --- when we leave home.
SLEEPING BEAR by Connor Sullivan (Thriller)
Perfect for fans of Brad Thor and Vince Flynn, this white-knuckled debut thriller follows a former Army veteran seeking solitude in the Alaskan wilderness after her husband’s death --- only to find herself a pawn in a deadly game with Russia.
THE STRANGER BEHIND YOU by Carol Goodman (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
In the tradition of Daphne du Maurier and Shari Lapena comes the newest mystery thriller from New York Times bestselling author Carol Goodman --- a twisty, chilling story set in a former Magdalen Laundry in Manhattan that explores today’s #MeToo complexities.
THE STRANGER IN THE MIRROR by Liv Constantine (Psychological Thriller)
This diabolically twisty, psychologically unsettling novel --- from the authors of the Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick THE LAST MRS. PARRISH and THE WIFE STALKER --- is about a woman with no recollection of her past.
TENDER IS THE BITE: A Chet & Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn (Mystery)
Spencer Quinn's TENDER IS THE BITE is a brand new adventure in the New York Times and USA Today bestselling series that Stephen King calls "without a doubt the most original mystery series currently available."
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Our Latest Poll: Pre-ordering and Reserving Books
Do you pre-order books online or at bookstores, or reserve books at libraries? Please check all that apply.
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I pre-order books online all the time.
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I pre-order books by favorite authors online as soon as I hear about them.
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I pre-order books online that I read about, even if I am not familiar with the author.
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I sometimes pre-order books online, depending on how excited I am to read them.
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I never pre-order books online.
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I pre-order books from my local bookstore all the time.
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I pre-order books by favorite authors from my local bookstore all the time.
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I pre-order books from my local bookstore that I read about, even if I am not familiar with the author.
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I sometimes pre-order books from my local bookstore, depending on how excited I am to read them.
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I never pre-order books from my local bookstore, but this would be a good idea.
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I am not interested in pre-ordering books from my local bookstore.
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There is no indie bookstore near my home.
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I reserve books from the library all the time.
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I reserve books from the library months before the books come out.
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I sometimes reserve books from the library, depending on how excited I am to read them.
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I never reserve books from the library.
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, July 9th 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 June 25th to July 9th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray and SURVIVE THE NIGHT by Riley Sager.
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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