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Last weekend I mostly read --- 740 pages in one weekend! I moved from the lounge chair by the pool, to the outdoor couch, to the indoor couch, to my bed for reading. I read and loved LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger; our interview with him will be up on Tuesday, the day the book releases. For those who enjoyed ORDINARY GRACE and THIS TENDER LAND, I think you are going to love this prequel to the Cork O’Connor series. And if you like it, there are 17 books in the series that follow this prequel. By the way, in our interview Kent shares why he chose to introduce us to young Cork now.
Then I happily moved on to THE LAST MONA LISA by Jonathan Santlofer, who I interviewed on Tuesday (more on that in a bit). Jonathan is both an artist (these days he is painting reproductions, which is a very interesting topic during our conversation) and an author. In this book he pairs both wonderfully.
Whew, that was a lot of exciting page-turning. I am happy to say that both will be Bookreporter.com Bets On picks, and it was a really joyful weekend of reading. No great cooking and two nights of takeout dinners! I know, shocking.
This week I did invent a new way to create an ice cream cone. I took an Oreo chocolate cone and filled it with some vanilla ice cream, then a shot of chocolate syrup, then more vanilla ice cream and another shot, until the cone was topped with a scoop of vanilla. I do not want to think how many calories were in this. It’s far more fun to count pages than calories!
On Monday night I did a virtual Fall Preview event for the Baldwin Public Library on Long Island; two weeks ago I did an event for Plainview-Old Bethpage Library. If you are a librarian and are interested in booking an event with me, I can give you info about possible programs and my fee. Shoot me an email at Carol@bookreporter.com with the subject line “Library Event Request.” These days I can do these events virtually anywhere in the country, on a number of topics.
I am happy to share my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Miranda Cowley Heller, whose instant New York Times bestseller, THE PAPER PALACE, is one of my favorite books of the summer and a recent Bets On selection. It is set on the Outer Cape of Cape Cod over the course of 24 hours, and introduces readers to Elle, who must make a decision: stay with her husband, Peter, or leave her marriage for her childhood friend, Jonas. The book looks back over Elle’s life and delves into moments, including a pivotal one, that will influence her decision.
Miranda talks about how she came to write THE PAPER PALACE in her 50s after putting it aside almost a decade ago and the story's development, as well as how her poetry background has influenced her writing. We also discuss the cover, which has its own background in her family. Miranda is currently writing the script for the book's HBO adaptation, a homecoming of sorts for her as she worked as the head of drama series at HBO, developing and overseeing such shows as "The Sopranos," "Six Feet Under" and "The Wire." Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
As I mentioned, I had such a fun conversation with Jonathan Santlofer about THE LAST MONA LISA, which is his first novel featuring a historical setting. It explores the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, giving readers a backstage look at what happened with the painting and the thief behind it all. With forgeries popping up in its wake, the ensuing years became a mystery for the art world. Where is the real painting? And what if the Mona Lisa that ended up in the Louvre has been a replica all along? Luke Perrone, a descendant of the thief, tries to sort out what happened and ends up deep in the underworld of art forgery.
In the interview, Jonathan shares his expertise on the art world and dives deep into his research for the famous painting, which included sitting in the cell where the culprit was jailed. He also explains how his work as an artist has influenced his writing and reveals what he is working on now when it comes to both his painting and his writing. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
This week we have our review of THE LAST MONA LISA from Norah Piehl, who says, “I had heard about the 1911 Mona Lisa theft previously, but only through a children’s book. Here, as Santlofer acknowledges, he embellishes some of the historical record to make for a good story, but he also positions the heist in the context of a suspenseful, character-driven thriller. Readers might look a little closer at the Mona Lisa if they find themselves in Paris any time soon --- looking, just like Luke, for clues and mysteries even more tantalizing than the famous woman’s smile.” Don’t miss my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.
BLOODLESS is the 20th thriller in Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s series starring Aloysius Pendergast. This time, the FBI agent faces his most unexpected challenge yet when bloodless bodies begin to appear in Savannah, GA. Ray Palen has our review and says, "Keeping D.B. Cooper in the back of your mind, the connections that Pendergast will make during the course of his investigation are nothing short of brilliant. At the heart of the mystery is a device that Pendergast claims is the answer to whoever or whatever is plaguing Savannah. BLOODLESS is a pure pleasure to read and is like candy to thriller fans --- candy from which readers will drain every ounce of flavor in pure delight."
James Lee Burke is back with a tale of justice, love, brutality and mysticism set in the turbulent 1960s. In ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN, an aspiring novelist will have to face down a variety of foes --- a shady professor, a sinister businessman and his son, and a mysterious shrouded figure who might not be human --- to save the life of the woman he loves and his own. According to our reviewer Joe Hartlaub, the book “features some of Burke’s best prose --- the man’s wordcraft, even at this late date, is awe-inspiring --- and his characters are unforgettable. You will want to put this book at the very top of your must-read list if you haven’t already.”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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THE NOISE: Sixteen-year-old Tennant and her younger sister, Sophie, are suddenly overcome by a strange vibration rising out of the forest that eventually turns into a deafening crescendo of screams. No matter what they do, they can’t escape the noise in James Patterson and J. D. Barker’s latest collaboration.
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WE ARE THE BRENNANS: Tracey Lange’s debut novel, which is being compared to Mary Beth Keane’s ASK AGAIN, YES and Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney's THE NEST, explores the staying power of shame --- and the redemptive power of love --- in an Irish Catholic family torn apart by secrets. I read this book a couple of weeks ago, and you quickly will be caught up in this family's drama. There are many unexpected secrets.
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SONGBIRDS: Christy Lefteri’s new novel, following 2019’s THE BEEKEEPER OF ALEPPO (a Bets On pick), is about the disappearance of a Sri Lankan domestic worker and how the most vulnerable people find their voices. I loved Christy's last book and have this one on my shelf to read.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
DAMNATION SPRING by Ash Davidson and NOT A HAPPY FAMILY by Shari Lapena are my latest Bets On selections. Click on each of the titles to find out why! We will feature our review and my interview with Ash in next week's newsletter.
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
The aforementioned LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger and A SLOW FIRE BURNING by Paula Hawkins are our latest Word of Mouth prizes. Let us know by Friday, September 10th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both these titles.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
In honor of our upcoming 25th anniversary (more on that next week!), our latest poll asks how long you’ve been a reader of Bookreporter.com. Are you a newcomer, a longtime fan or somewhere in between? Click here to let us know!
Our previous poll asked which of 27 fiction titles releasing in August you are planning to read. Here are your top five picks: THE READING LIST by Sara Nisha Adams (43%), LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger (38%), WE ARE THE BRENNANS by Tracey Lange (36%), CLARK AND DIVISION by Naomi Hirahara (32%), and THE MADNESS OF CROWDS by Louise Penny (30%). Click here for all the results.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Ann wrote, “I LOVED THE READING LIST! It caused me to look back over my 84 years and remember the books that have influenced me in some way. I have the opportunity to review the book for my book group, and I plan to ask each one to consider the books that have left some impression on them and why. A book from childhood and another later in life. I know why I extend human traits and qualities to all of nature. That is due to author Thornton W. Burgess. Those books were read to me over and over. I read them to my grands. Not sure they enjoyed as much as I did. THE READING LIST is a really good read.”
Elise wrote, “I’m following your August activities both book-wise and personal-wise. Enjoying the peach chats. Made some cobbler myself.”
Rosalie wrote, “Thank you so much, Carol. I am so excited to have won THE BARRISTER AND THE LETTER OF MARQUE. I thank you for all you do, and I love the Bookreporter Weekly newsletter. All the books I read are your recommendations. I will leave a review when I have finished the book.”
“The White Lotus” on HBO: I am not quite sure how to describe this one. Social satire? There were some scenes that made me laugh out loud! Others were quite over the top. It was an addicting watch that I binged in two nights.
Kent Krueger: I thoroughly enjoyed this “By the Book” interview with William Kent Krueger in the New York Times. It will be in the print edition of the New York Times on Sunday.
I am trying to chronicle what is growing where in the garden to make a plan for what I want to fill in next year. The goal is to perfect having something come up from late spring to fall. The heat wiped out some of the plants in pots; it’s been rather brutal. The zinnias are doing their brilliant thing! As always, I planted them late, but they are popping up now and bringing lots of color to the garden.
In addition to the standard seeds, I planted a new strain called Swizzle zinnias in ivory and red, and they have just been stunning even as they start to fade. I got them from True Leaf Market, and they will be a repeat purchase. Also from True Leaf are Zowie Yellow Flame zinnias. And yes, I needed to look up the names since I have yet to use the bamboo plant labels that arrived two months ago. They are sitting on the counter. Maybe that will be a weekend project!
I am reading the aforementioned A SLOW FIRE BURNING. I am on page 25, so I will have more on this next week! Book club is here on Tuesday night, and we are going to be discussing THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN. I am looking forward to that!
I have no weekend plans or “deadline reading” for interviews, so we may plan something spontaneous! Or I may just float and nap. Or wait, the weather forecast just said something about a possible tropical storm. It is always something. I appreciate that reading is not weather-related.
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: BLOODLESS
by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
BLOODLESS: A Pendergast Novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by William DeMeritt
On the evening of November 24, 1971, D. B. Cooper hijacked Flight 305 with a fake bomb, collected a ransom of $200,000, and then parachuted from the rear of the plane, disappearing into the night…and into history. Fifty years later, Agent Pendergast takes on a bizarre and gruesome case: in the ghost-haunted city of Savannah, Georgia, bodies are found with no blood left in their veins --- sowing panic and reviving whispered tales of the infamous Savannah Vampire. As the mystery rises along with the body count, Pendergast and his partner, Agent Coldmoon, race to understand how --- or if --- these murders are connected to the only unsolved skyjacking in American history. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN
by James Lee Burke
ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN by James Lee Burke (Historical Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Will Patton
The American West in the early 1960s appears to be a pastoral paradise: golden wheat fields, mist-filled canyons, frolicking animals. Aspiring novelist Aaron Holland Broussard finds work on a farm in Denver and meets Joanne McDuffy, a fierce college student and gifted painter. Their soul connection is immediate, but their romance is complicated by Joanne’s involvement with a shady professor who is mixed up with a drug-addled cult. When a sinister businessman and his son who wield their influence through vicious cruelty set their sights on Aaron, drawing him into an investigation of grotesque murders, it is clear that this idyllic landscape harbors tremendous power --- and evil. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE NOISE
by James Patterson and J. D. Barker
THE NOISE by James Patterson and J. D. Barker (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Amanda Dolan
In the shadow of Mount Hood, 16-year-old Tennant is checking rabbit traps with her eight-year-old sister, Sophie, when the girls are suddenly overcome by a strange vibration rising out of the forest, building in intensity until it sounds like a deafening crescendo of screams. From out of nowhere, their father sweeps them up and drops them through a trapdoor into a storm cellar. But the sound only gets worse. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
DAMNATION SPRING by Ash Davidson
and NOT A HAPPY FAMILY by Shari Lapena
DAMNATION SPRING by Ash Davidson (Fiction)
DAMNATION SPRING by Ash Davidson is set in 1977 in northern California in a logging town where Rich Gundersen’s family has chopped redwoods for generations. I confess to knowing very little about logging, and the early pages were a bit of an immersive tutorial for me. Yes, we have had trees taken down here at the house, and I know that tree climbing for logging is an art, and dangerous, but here I found myself learning a whole number of new terms while reading more carefully than usual.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on DAMNATION SPRING.
NOT A HAPPY FAMILY by Shari Lapena (Psychological Thriller)
NOT A HAPPY FAMILY is the latest from perennial Bets On author Shari Lapena. The book opens with a family at Easter dinner. Fred and Sheila Merton and their adult children --- Catherine, Dan and Jenna --- have gathered at the sizable home (yes, it could be called a mansion) where the siblings grew up. The setting is beautifully pulled together; it looks like an idyllic family meal being served by their longtime housekeeper, Irena. What should be a festive holiday is completely upset by Fred’s pronouncement that he plans to sell the family home, one that Catherine wants desperately to inherit.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on NOT A HAPPY FAMILY.
Featured Review:
WE ARE THE BRENNANS by Tracey Lange
WE ARE THE BRENNANS by Tracey Lange (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Barrie Kreinik
When 29-year-old Sunday Brennan wakes up in a Los Angeles hospital, bruised and battered after a drunk driving accident she caused, she swallows her pride and goes home to her family in New York. Sunday is determined to rebuild her life back on the east coast, even if it does mean tiptoeing around resentful brothers and an ex-fiancé. The longer she stays, however, the more she realizes they need her just as much as she needs them. When a dangerous man from her past brings her family’s pub business to the brink of financial ruin, the only way to protect them is to upend all their secrets --- secrets that have damaged the family for generations and will threaten everything they know about their lives. 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 read our review.
Featured Review:
THE LAST MONA LISA by Jonathan Santlofer
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Pick
THE LAST MONA LISA by Jonathan Santlofer (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini
August, 1911: The Mona Lisa is stolen by Vincent Peruggia. Exactly what happens in the two years before its recovery is a mystery. Many replicas of the Mona Lisa exist, and more than one historian has wondered if the painting now returned to the Louvre is a fake, switched in 1911. Present day: Art professor Luke Perrone digs for the truth behind his most famous ancestor: Peruggia. His search attracts an Interpol detective with something to prove and an unfamiliar but curiously helpful woman. Soon, Luke tumbles deep into the world of art and forgery, a land of obsession and danger. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Jonathan Santlofer.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read our review.
THE LAST MONA LISA will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.
Featured Review: SONGBIRDS by Christy Lefteri
SONGBIRDS by Christy Lefteri (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by George Georgiou, Indira Varma, Art Malik and Lolita Chakrabarti
Nisha works as a nanny and maid for a wealthy widow on the island of Cyprus. Yiannis is a poacher, trapping the tiny protected songbirds that stop in Cyprus as they migrate each year from Africa to Europe and selling them on the illegal market. He dreams of finding a new way of life, and of marrying Nisha. But one night, Nisha makes dinner for the family who pays her: Petra and her daughter, Aliki. Then, after she cleans the kitchen and tucks Aliki into bed, Nisha goes out on a mysterious errand and vanishes. When the police refuse to pursue the case, Petra takes on the investigation herself, a path that leads her to Nisha’s friends --- other workers in the neighborhood --- and to the darker side of a migrant’s life. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com's 17th Annual Summer Reading Feature
All summer long, we at Bookreporter.com have been sharing some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Feature. While our series of 24-hour contests have ended, we encourage you to take a look at our featured titles for some sizzling summer reading ideas.
This year’s featured titles are:
Click here to learn more about our featured titles.
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.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
From left to right: William Kent Krueger, Louise Penny, Peter Heller
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
As so many book and author events are happening online these days, we are highlighting a number of them that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links below for more info and to register.
Saturday, August 21st at 2pm ET: Murder By The Book: James Lee Burke will be in conversation with fellow award-winning author Brian Panowich about his latest novel, ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN.
Sunday, August 22nd at 5pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": For this special bonus episode, the "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, Patti Callahan Henry and Mary Alice Monroe --- will talk to award-winning author and New York Times columnist Leslie Lehr and her husband, screenwriter John Truby.
Sunday, August 22nd at 6:30pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: James Lee Burke will discuss his new thriller, ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN, with fellow New York Times bestselling author Dennis Lehane.
Monday, August 23rd at 10pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: William Kent Krueger will discuss his latest novel, LIGHTNING STRIKE, a prequel to his acclaimed Cork O’Connor series.
Tuesday, August 24th at 7:30pm ET: Community Bookstore: Louise Penny joins Community Bookstore to present her newest novel, THE MADNESS OF CROWDS, in conversation with cookbook author Dorie Greenspan.
Wednesday, August 25th at 6:30pm ET: Lemuria Books: The Mississippi Book Festival and Lemuria Books present a virtual event with James Lee Burke, author of ANOTHER KIND OF EDEN, who will be in conversation with Ace Atkins.
Wednesday, August 25th at 7pm ET: Cuyahoga County Public Library: Jonathan Santlofer will discuss his latest novel, THE LAST MONA LISA, an enthralling tale about the 1911 theft of the Mona Lisa from the Louvre, the forgeries that appeared in its wake, and the present-day underbelly of the art world.
Wednesday, August 25th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Karin Slaughter, whose latest novel is FALSE WITNESS.
Wednesday, August 25th at 8pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Louise Penny as she discusses her new book, THE MADNESS OF CROWDS, with veteran broadcast journalist Shelagh Rogers.
Thursday, August 26th at 7pm ET: Octavia Books: Join Octavia Books with bestselling author Jonathan Santlofer presenting his new novel, THE LAST MONA LISA, in conversation with New Orleans author Tom Piazza.
Friday, August 27th at 7pm ET: Gibson's Bookstore: Gibson's Bookstore is pleased to join Politics & Prose and Books & Books to virtually present Peter Heller, in conversation with author Diane Les Becquets, as they discuss Peter's new thriller, THE GUIDE.
Friday, August 27th at 7pm ET: Literati Bookstore: Literati Bookstore is pleased to welcome Louise Penny to their "At Home with Literati" virtual event series in support of THE MADNESS OF CROWDS, her 17th Chief Inspector Gamache novel. Louise will be in conversation with author Will Schwalbe.
Friday, August 27th at 8pm ET: Mystery to Me: Mystery to Me will host William Kent Krueger in conversation with Doug Moe as they discuss Kent's new thriller, LIGHTNING STRIKE.
"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 are our latest interviews:
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Ash Davidson (DAMNATION SPRING)
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William Kent Krueger (LIGHTNING STRIKE)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
THE ISLAND by Ben Coes (Political Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Ari Fliakos
Iran has been planning a revenge attack on America for years, which involves assassinating U.S. President J. P. Dellenbaugh and neutralizing their most successful agent, Dewey Andreas. The first pre-emptive attack against Dewey fails, but it worries the head of the CIA enough that he sends him out of town and off the grid. Muhammed el-Shakib, head of Iran's military and intelligence agency, launches a bold strike. When the President arrives in New York to address the U.N., embedded terrorist assets blow up the bridges and tunnels that connect Manhattan to the mainland. Taking control of the island with its hidden forces, they race to the U.N. in search of Dellenbaugh and to launch an even deadlier attack that will wreak unimaginable destruction on the country itself. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE FAMILY PLOT by Megan Collins (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Tremaine
Raised in a secluded island mansion deep in the woods and kept isolated by her true crime-obsessed parents, Dahlia Lighthouse is unable to move beyond the disappearance of her twin brother, Andy, when they were 16. After several years away and following her father’s death, Dahlia returns to the house, where the family makes a gruesome discovery: buried in their father’s plot is another body --- Andy’s, his skull split open with an ax. Dahlia is quick to blame Andy’s murder on the serial killer who terrorized the island for decades, while the rest of her family reacts to the revelation in unsettling ways. As Dahlia grapples with her own grief and horror, she realizes that her eccentric family, and the mansion itself, may hold the answers to what happened to her twin. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
RABBIT HOLE by Mark Billingham (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Maxine Peake
Alice Armitage is a police officer. Or she was. Following a debilitating bout of PTSD, self-medication with drink and drugs, and a psychotic breakdown, Alice is now a long-term patient in an acute psychiatric ward. Though convinced that she doesn’t really belong there, she finds companionship with the other patients in the ward despite their challenging and often intimidating issues. So when one of her fellow patients is murdered, Alice feels personally compelled to launch an investigation from within the ward. Soon, she becomes convinced that she has identified the killer and that she can catch them. But Alice’s life begins to unravel as she realizes that she cannot trust anyone in the ward, least of all herself. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.
THE DARKNESS KNOWS by Arnaldur Indridason (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Sean Barrett
A frozen body is discovered in the icy depths of Langjökull glacier, apparently that of a businessman who disappeared 30 years before. At the time, an extensive search and police investigation yielded no results --- one of the missing man’s business associates was briefly held in custody, but there wasn’t enough evidence to charge him. Now the associate is arrested again, and Konrad, the retired policeman who originally investigated the disappearance, is called back to reopen the case that has weighed on his mind for decades. When a woman approaches him with new information that she obtained from her deceased brother, progress can finally be made in solving this long-cold case. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
56 DAYS by Catherine Ryan Howard (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Alana Kerr Collins
56 days ago. Ciara and Oliver meet in a supermarket queue in Dublin and start dating the same week COVID-19 reaches Irish shores. 35 days ago. When lockdown threatens to keep them apart, Oliver suggests they move in together. Ciara sees a unique opportunity for a relationship to flourish without the scrutiny of family and friends. Oliver sees a chance to hide who --- and what --- he really is. Today. Detectives arrive at Oliver's apartment to discover a decomposing body inside. Can they determine what really happened, or has lockdown created an opportunity for someone to commit the perfect crime? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
EVERYTHING I HAVE IS YOURS: A Marriage by Eleanor Henderson (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Karissa Vacker
This is the true story of Eleanor Henderson’s 20-year marriage, which was defined by her husband Aaron’s chronic illness. One day, out of nowhere, a rash appeared on Aaron’s arms. Soon, it had morphed into painful lesions covering his body. Eleanor was as baffled as the doctors. There was no obvious diagnosis, let alone a cure. And as years passed and the lesions gave way to Aaron’s increasingly disturbed concerns about the source of his sickness, the husband she loved seemed to unravel before her eyes. A new fissure ruptured in their marriage, and new questions piled onto old ones: Where does physical illness end and mental illness begin? Where does one person end and another begin? And how do we exist alongside someone else’s suffering? Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
GOD SPARE THE GIRLS by Kelsey McKinney (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Catherine Taber
Luke Nolan has led the Hope congregation for more than a decade, while his wife and daughters have patiently upheld what it means to live righteously. Made famous by a viral sermon on purity co-written with his eldest daughter, Abigail, Luke is a spellbinding speaker. But his younger daughter, Caroline, has begun to notice the cracks in their comfortable life. She is certain that her perfect, pristine sister is about to marry the wrong man --- and Caroline has slid into sin with a boy she’s known her entire life, wondering why God would care so much about her virginity anyway. When it comes to light, five weeks before Abigail’s wedding, that Luke has been lying to his family, the entire Nolan clan falls into a tailspin. Reviewed by Dunja Bonacci Skenderović.
PALM BEACH by Mary Adkins (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Stacey Glemboski
Rebecca and her husband, Mickey, typify struggling, 30-something New Yorkers --- he’s an actor, and she’s a freelance journalist. But after the arrival of their baby son, the couple decides to relocate to Palm Beach, where Mickey has been offered a sweet deal managing the household of a multimillionaire Democratic donor. Once there, he quickly doubles his salary by going to work for venture capitalist Cecil Stone. Rebecca, a writer whose beat is economic inequality, is initially horrified: she pillories men like Stone, a ruthless businessman famous for crushing local newspapers. So no one is more surprised than her when she accepts a job working for Cecil’s wife as a ghostwriter. As she and Mickey are pulled deeper into this topsy-turvy household, they become increasingly dependent on their problematic benefactors. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
MADE IN CHINA: A Memoir of Love and Labor by Anna Qu (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Catherine Ho
As a teen, Anna Qu is sent by her mother to work in her family's garment factory in Queens. At home, she is treated as a maid and suffers punishment for doing her homework at night. Her mother wants to teach her a lesson: she is Chinese, not American. But instead of acquiescing, Qu alerts the Office of Children and Family Services, an act with consequences that impact the rest of her life. Nearly 20 years later, estranged from her mother and working at a Manhattan start-up, Qu requests her OCFS report. When it arrives, key details are wrong. Faced with this false narrative, Qu looks once more at her life's truths, from abandonment to an abusive family to seeking dignity and meaning in work. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on August 24th
Below are some notable titles releasing on August 24th 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 August 23rd, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger (Historical Mystery)
The author of the instant New York Times bestseller THIS TENDER LAND returns with a powerful prequel to his acclaimed Cork O’Connor series --- a book about fathers and sons, long-simmering conflicts in a small Minnesota town, and the events that echo through youth and shape our lives forever.
THE LOVE SONGS OF W.E.B. DU BOIS by Honorée Fanonne Jeffers (Fiction)
The 2020 National Book Award–nominated poet makes her fiction debut with this magisterial epic --- an intimate yet sweeping novel with all the luminescence and force of HOMEGOING; SING, UNBURIED, SING; and THE WATER DANCER --- that chronicles the journey of one American family, from the centuries of the colonial slave trade through the Civil War to our own tumultuous era.
THE MADNESS OF CROWDS by Louise Penny (Mystery)
Professor Abigail Robinson will be giving a lecture at a nearby university, and Chief Inspector Armand Gamache is asked to provide security for it. He discovers an agenda so repulsive that he begs the university to cancel the lecture.
MORE THAN I LOVE MY LIFE written by David Grossman, translated by Jessica Cohen (Fiction)
From the internationally bestselling author of TO THE END OF THE LAND comes a remarkable novel of suffering, love and healing --- the story of three generations of women on an unlikely journey to a Croatian island and a secret that needs to be told.
THE WOMEN OF TROY by Pat Barker (Historical Fiction)
THE WOMEN OF TROY is a daring and timely feminist retelling of THE ILIAD from the perspective of the women of Troy who endured it --- an extraordinary follow-up to THE SILENCE OF THE GIRLS from the Booker Prize-winning author of The Regeneration Trilogy.
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