January 7, 2022
 January 7, 2022Hello to You in 2022! I Know, So Clever! Happy New Year! The holiday break was lovely, but I feel like just as I relaxed, it was time to head back to my desk. Omicron definitely cast a pall over the holidays --- the second holiday season of limited celebrating. Luckily, I am easily amused here at the house.    I read three books over the break and enjoyed each for different reasons. First up, I finished OLGA DIES DREAMING by Xochitl Gonzalez, which was fabulous. More on that later in this newsletter. Sally Hepworth is always a favorite read, so I happily plucked her upcoming thriller, THE YOUNGER WIFE (coming April 5th), from my shelves and devoured it in a lovely post-Christmas Day haze. The catalyst for the idea for this one came from her great aunty Gwen. A throwaway line from Gwen got her thinking. Just who is the “younger wife,” and what is going on in this family? You have to read to find out...and her crazy cast of characters will amuse you. This terrific book ride from Sally once again will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Next up was VERITY by Colleen Hoover. It's been high on the New York Times paperback bestseller list for weeks, it was one of our Holiday Cheer titles, and many in my book group who have read it said it was one of the twistiest, craziest books that they have read. I do agree! A ghostwriter is brought in to finish the series being written by a popular author who is in a coma. There she finds a manuscript that details things in the author’s life that are shocking. What was, and is, going on in that house? I am currently reading THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET by Diane Chamberlain, which is out on Tuesday, and it is so good. It has dual timelines of the mid-'60s during the heart of the Civil Rights movement and a storyline set in 2010. Some characters overlap, which is something not often seen with dual storylines. Here, questions can be answered by folks still around, though whether they are being totally truthful remains to be seen. I had to tear myself away from it to write this newsletter. It's one of our Word of Mouth prizes for this contest period, so read on for more about that.  While we were away, we heard the sad news that Joan Didion passed away at the age of 87 from complications of Parkinson's disease. Didion wrote five novels and 10 books of nonfiction, including THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING, BLUE NIGHTS, WHERE I WAS FROM, and her most recent essay collection, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I MEAN (which releases in paperback on January 25th). She reflected on her remarkable career and personal struggles in the 2017 Netflix documentary, Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold, which was directed by her nephew, Griffin Dunne, and produced by her niece, Annabelle Dunne. I went back to watch this film over the break, and it was just as good the second time as it was the first. In 2005, I was in the audience when Didion won the National Book Award for THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING, which I loved. A night or two later, I was at the Miami Book Fair where she was a featured author and gave a great talk. She finished, and I headed for my rental car. I was almost there when I pivoted back, walked into the signing line and got to chat with her. I am so glad I did. By the way, THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING is #1 on the New York Times nonfiction bestseller list this week! RIP Joan Didion.  For our first "Bookreporter Talks To" interview of 2022, we are doing something different. As our producer Austin Ruh is much more familiar with the fantasy genre than I am, he chats with James Rollins about his latest novel, THE STARLESS CROWN, which kicks off his Moon Fall fantasy series. A gifted student who foretells an apocalypse, a broken soldier, a drunken prince and a thief who escapes from prison chains embark on a dangerous journey to uncover the secrets of the distant past and save their world. In the interview, Rollins talks about bringing what he learned from writing thrillers to the fantasy genre. He also discusses his path to becoming a writer, inspirations for his worldbuilding, and the collaboration that took place to make this fantasy world a reality. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. I listened in and loved hearing the conversation between Rollins and Austin. We hope you enjoy it, too! Ray Palen has our review and says, “There is much to savor in THE STARLESS CROWN. It feels like a novel that wants to be read in one sitting, even though the total page count approaches 600…. It is worth pointing out that Rollins previously wrote books in the fantasy genre under the pseudonym James Clemens. Hopefully, this will spur readers to seek out these rare novels as they eagerly await the next Moon Fall epic.”  One of the most buzzed-about books of the year is THE MAID by debut novelist Nita Prose, which is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club selection, a Top LibraryReads Pick, an Indie Next pick, and an upcoming Bets On title. In it, a charmingly eccentric hotel maid named Molly Gray discovers a guest murdered in his bed. Solving the mystery will turn her once orderly world upside down. According to our reviewer Kayla Provencher, “This book is truly spectacular. Molly is a delightful character with an inspiring outlook on the world around her, even when the world reveals itself to be a somewhat dark and dirty place. Reading her ordinary thoughts is nearly as compelling as the mystery itself.” Don’t miss my Bets On commentary in the January 28th newsletter. I will be interviewing Nita next week!  Our Fiction Author Spotlight kicks off this week with the aforementioned OLGA DIES DREAMING by Xochitl Gonzalez, which will be my second Bets On pick of the year. This much-anticipated debut novel is set against the backdrop of New York City in the months surrounding the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico’s history, Hurricane Maria. Pedro “Prieto” Acevedo is a popular congressman representing his gentrifying Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn, while his sister, Olga, is a wedding planner for Manhattan’s power brokers. Ironically, Olga can’t seem to find her own love story...until she meets Matteo, who forces her to confront the effects of long-held family secrets. Olga and Prieto’s mother, Blanca, abandoned her children to advance a militant political cause, leaving them to be raised by their grandmother. Now, during hurricane season, Blanca has stormed back into their lives. Rebecca Munro has this to say in her review: “Both a novel about dysfunctional families and the ways that early hurts can warp an entire existence, and the corruption present at all levels of government, OLGA DIES DREAMING is a whip-smart, utterly fresh take on familial strife, race relations and what it means to be successful in America.” I had the pleasure of talking to Xochitl about the book on Wednesday. We look forward to bringing you the interview in next week’s newsletter and my Bets On commentary in the January 21st newsletter.  THE LAST DANCE OF THE DEBUTANTE by Julia Kelly is our latest New Release Spotlight title. When it’s announced that 1958 will be the last year debutantes are to be presented at court, thousands of eager mothers and hopeful daughters flood the palace with letters seeking the year’s most coveted invitation: a chance for their daughters to curtsey to the young Queen Elizabeth and officially come out into society. In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. But the glorious effervescence of the Season evaporates once Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family. According to our reviewer Pamela Kramer, “Like the frills on the debutante dresses or the frosting on the tiered cake carefully prepared by bakers to be cut with a sword at Queen Charlotte's Ball, THE LAST DANCE OF THE DEBUTANTE will be savored and enjoyed. Its January release means that it's also a novel that can give us pause in this new year to consider what is important to us during these turbulent, COVID-filled times.” Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
This Month’s New in Paperback Feature Revisiting Four “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews Last week saw the paperback releases of DON’T LOOK FOR ME by Wendy Walker and YELLOW WIFE by Sadeqa Johnson, two more Bets On selections. If you missed my interviews with Wendy or Sadeqa, you can watch or listen to them here: Books on Screen Offerings for January  It was announced this week that HONOR by Thrity Umrigar is Reese’s Book Club pick for January. Here’s what Reese has to say about the book: “HONOR by Thrity Umrigar is about an Indian-American journalist named Smita who returns to India on assignment. The story she’s covering is an emotionally riddled one that utilizes the lives of characters to portray the cultural realities of India, both new and old. Her experiences lift the veil on the complexities of journalism and leave Smita questioning her boundaries as a reporter. Complex and unfiltered, these are the type of characters that stick with you long after you turn the pages.” We plan to feature our review of the book in the January 21st newsletter. I am a huge fan of Thrity’s work, and HONOR is on my to-be-read list. For more January selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here. Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll In our previous poll, we asked how many books you read in 2021. 17% of you read more than 100 print books; in fact, 42% of you read 51 print books or more. 69% of you read e-books, while 40% listened to audiobooks (14 of you listened to more than 100 audiobooks, and 27 would like to start listening to audiobooks this year). Click here for all the results. Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest  THE GOOD SON and THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET are also two of the prizes in our End-of-the-Year Contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com. We’re giving readers the opportunity to share their favorite book that they read with their group in 2021 and their favorite book that they read outside their group. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded THE GOOD SON and THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET, along with six other novels releasing this year that we think will make for terrific book group discussions: HER HIDDEN GENIUS by Marie Benedict, THE MAGNOLIA PALACE by Fiona Davis, VIOLETA by Isabel Allende, and the aforementioned THE MAID by Nita Prose, OLGA DIES DREAMING by Xochitl Gonzalez, and THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS by Jessamine Chan. To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, January 12th at noon ET. We will share our reader-compiled "Best Of" list with you in next week’s ReadingGroupGuides.com newsletter. Speaking of year-end features, we plan to announce the winners of our Bets On End-of-the-Year Contest in next week’s Bookreporter newsletter!  This is your last weekly newsletter reminder to sign up for this month’s “Bookaccino Live” afternoon event, which will take place this Wednesday at 2pm ET. I will present a number of titles releasing between January 4th and February 1st, along with a few from March, that we are especially excited about. Please keep in mind that attendees of the live event will be invited to answer a survey about the books from the presentation that they are most interested in reading. Those who do will be eligible to win a prize! Be sure to register here by 1pm ET on Wednesday, and we will send you a list of the featured titles before the event. News & Pop Culture Reader Mail: Thanks to many of you who sent along wonderful holiday messages for me and my staff. They were shared and appreciated. Diane from West Columbia, SC wrote to thank us “for your tireless efforts to keep readers up to date on what’s new and exciting, as well as old favorites.” And it was accompanied by a check for our ongoing fundraising. So appreciated! A Fun Event for Animal Lovers: Many thanks to our reader Joyce for bringing this special virtual event to my attention: “The Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society's ‘Phantom of the Shelter’ Sealed Bid Auction to benefit homeless pets will be online until January 29th. Bid to make your furry or feathered friend the inspiration of a character in an upcoming novel or story collection by nationally acclaimed author Jill McCorkle! The winning bidder will send pictures and share their pet’s personality traits and idiosyncrasies with Jill for inspiration. (The winner may choose to have their pet in a story collection or a novel.)” Click here for all the details. "Emily in Paris" on Netflix: I confess to binging all 10 episodes of season two while wrapping gifts and doing other holiday tasks. Totally mindless, but she was in Paris and I was not! Being the Ricardos on Amazon Prime Video: I was so skeptical of this going in, but I really enjoyed it. I loved Lucy, and this film reminded me of so many reasons why. They compressed a number of different story threads in here that actually did not happen in the same week, but it gives a glimpse behind the scenes to see what unfolded not only on screen, but also in the writers’ room, and in meetings with “suits” both at the network and at the sponsor level. Nicole Kidman was much better than I thought she would be; the scene where she lays out a skit is really well done. You see the perfectionist that Lucy was beyond the woman doing pratfalls on screen! Desilu went on to create sooooo much programming. "1883" on Paramount+: This prequel to the huge television hit "Yellowstone" is very well done. It's about the journey west beginning in 1883. One family shown is the original John Dutton family; his descendants are the cast in "Yellowstone." We watched the first two episodes on Paramount and for future ones had to order Paramount+, which also has a number of creator and actor interviews. Taylor Sheridan is working on five shows; three have been done already. Here's a very interesting piece in the Wall Street Journal about how "Yellowstone" found its legs in smaller markets in the country and then bubbled up to the coasts. Don't Look Up on Netflix: A meteor is headed towards earth, and a scientist at Michigan State University discovers it. She and her professor try to get people in power to understand what is going on. No one is listening! There’s an all-star cast and lots of satire. We loved it. The Lost Daughter on Netflix: This is an adaptation of Elena Ferrante's book of the same name. It is set in Greece and is beautifully shot, and Olivia Colman is terrific. I would love to discuss the ending with someone! The Alpinist on Netflix: Cory suggested I watch this documentary. It profiles Marc-André Leclerc, whose adventures as a solo climber are absolutely mind-boggling. When they do pullback shots on where he has climbed, you will be amazed. Highly recommended. King Richard: This movie tells the very interesting story of Richard Williams, the father who spurred on his daughters, Venus and Serena, to compete. He's the epitome of a helicopter parent! The performances were terrific. "Selling Tampa" on Netflix: Ummmm, this is as vacuous as "Selling Sunset"; I confess to watching to see the houses. The scripted unscripted drama was just as expected. Spencer: I found this one to be awful. We got it. Lady Di was bulimic, she did not like the Royal Family’s rules, and she felt constricted. This was shown over and over. "Stay Close" on Netflix: I wanted this adaptation of Harlan Coben's thriller to be better than it was. It was humming a bit, but then more characters were dropped in and I was trying to keep track of who was who, including two people who felt like caricatures of themselves. I did finish it. The ending made sense. I wish it had not lost itself for me in the middle. Here’s Harlan on film adaptations. The Power of the Dog on Netflix: I rewatched this movie with my husband. So well done! "This Is Us" on NBC: The new season, its last, kicked off this week. "And Just Like That..." on HBO Max: And just like that, the entire cast became super clueless as they take on every social challenge. And the outfits that were funkier and cuter on Sarah Jessica Parker in her 20s and 30s look ridiculous now. "Bridgerton" on Netflix: Season two will be available on March 25th. More details for you here.  I heard from my friend, Anna, who was one of our original Bookaccino chat hosts, about how much she had been having fun with a 10" potholder loom with loops in great colors. Looking for a creative fast project, I asked for this for Christmas and my wish was granted. I crafted four potholders over the break, having lots more fun with these colors than I did when I was a kid. And more loops are on the way as I am out of them! It made me crave a lap loom, or to finally find time to work with the big loom that Tom gave me in 2019. The plan was to make skirts for the office on the big loom. Ha! Maybe now we can do scarves on a smaller loom. I think we are going to dismantle the Christmas decor this weekend. Tom wisely left all the containers to be repacked in the upstairs hallway instead of putting them back in the attic. This year I am vowing to label the containers correctly. Greg is out west at Big Bend National Park this weekend as part of a three-week trip that includes “work from away” time during the week, as well as touring nights and weekends. He was in El Paso all week, and Sarah McCoy was giving him great tips about places to eat as he was working on updating her website for the release of her new novel, MUSTIQUE ISLAND, which is coming on May 10th. Mustique is a place I always have wanted to visit, so I cannot wait to read it. Also, it’s time for a fire in the fireplace and kicking it back a notch to enjoy a book. It's been too warm for fires so far this year, but now I am ready after the first significant snowfall of 2022! Read on, and have a great week!     Featured Review: THE MAID by Nita Prose  THE MAID by Nita Prose (Mystery) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. THE MAID will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. An Interview with Jessamine Chan   THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS is Jessamine Chan’s debut novel and this month’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick. It revolves around one lapse in judgment that lands a young mother in a government reform program where custody of her child hangs in the balance. In this interview, Chan talks about how she came to tell this particular story, her writing process and the research she conducted for the book, what surprised her the most when she became a mother, the concerns she had about motherhood and the impact it would have on her ability to write, the authors who have inspired her, and what she’s working on now. THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS by Jessamine Chan (Fiction) - Click here to read more about the book. Featured Review: ANTHEM by Noah Hawley  ANTHEM by Noah Hawley (Literary Thriller) » On Tuesday, February 8th at 3pm ET, Noah Hawley will talk about ANTHEM during a B&N Book Club virtual event. Click here to sign up. Click here to read our review.  New Fiction Author Spotlight:  OLGA DIES DREAMING by Xochitl Gonzalez (Fiction) Despite their alluring public lives, behind closed doors things are far less rosy. Sure, Olga can orchestrate the love stories of the one percent, but she can’t seem to find her own...until she meets Matteo, who forces her to confront the effects of long-held family secrets. Olga and Prieto’s mother, Blanca, a Young Lord turned radical, abandoned her children to advance a militant political cause, leaving them to be raised by their grandmother. Now, with the winds of hurricane season, Blanca has come barreling back into their lives. Set against the backdrop of New York City in the months surrounding the most devastating hurricane in Puerto Rico’s history, Xochitl Gonzalez’s OLGA DIES DREAMING is a story that examines political corruption, familial strife and the very notion of the American dream --- all while asking what it really means to weather a storm. - Click here to read an excerpt. Click here to read our review. Click here to read more in our Fiction Author Spotlight. OLGA DIES DREAMING will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.  New Release Spotlight:  THE LAST DANCE OF THE DEBUTANTE by Julia Kelly (Historical Fiction) In an effort to appease her traditional mother, aspiring university student Lily Nichols agrees to become a debutante and do the Season, a glittering and grueling string of countless balls and cocktail parties. In doing so, she befriends two very different women: the cool and aloof Leana Hartford whose apparent perfection hides a darker side and the ambitious Katherine Norman who dreams of a career once she helps her parents find their place among the elite. But the glorious effervescence of the Season evaporates once Lily learns a devastating secret that threatens to destroy her entire family. Faced with a dark past, she’s forced to ask herself what really matters: her family legacy or her own happiness. With her signature “intricate, tender, and convincing” (Publishers Weekly) storytelling, Julia Kelly weaves an unforgettable tale of female friendship amid the twilight days of Britain’s grand coming-out balls. - Click here to read an excerpt. Click here to read our review. Click here to read more in our New Release Spotlight. Featured Review:  THE STARLESS CROWN by James Rollins (Fantasy) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review. Featured Review: FIONA AND JANE by Jean Chen Ho  FIONA AND JANE by Jean Chen Ho (Fiction/Short Stories) - Click here to read more about the book. Click here to read our review.    January’s New in Paperback Roundups January's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes HOUR OF THE WITCH, a riveting and propulsive novel of historical suspense from Chris Bohjalian, in which a young Puritan woman --- faithful and resourceful, but afraid of the demons that dog her soul --- plots her escape from a violent marriage; THE CHILDREN’S BLIZZARD by Melanie Benjamin, a story of courage on the prairie, inspired by the devastating storm that struck the Great Plains in 1888, threatening the lives of hundreds of immigrant homesteaders, especially schoolchildren; THE PUSH by first-time novelist Ashley Audrain, a tense, page-turning psychological drama about the making and breaking of a family, and a woman whose experience of motherhood is nothing at all what she hoped for --- and everything she feared; and Gabriela Garcia's OF WOMEN AND SALT, a sweeping, masterful debut about a daughter's fateful choice, a mother motivated by her own past, and a family legacy that begins in Cuba before either of them were born. Among our nonfiction highlights are LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I MEAN, a timeless collection that reveals what would become Joan Didion's subjects, including the press, politics, California robber barons, women and her own self-doubt; THE BLACK CHURCH by Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a powerful new history of the Black church as a foundation of Black life and a driving force in the larger freedom struggle in America; LAND, in which Simon Winchester explores the notion of property --- our proprietary relationship with the land --- through human history, how it has shaped us and what it will mean for our future; and THE DOCTORS BLACKWELL, a richly researched biography from Janice P. Nimura that celebrates two complicated pioneers --- Elizabeth Blackwell and her younger sister, Emily --- who exploded the limits of possibility for women in medicine. Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of    January’s Books on Screen Feature Here is a preview of this month's movies, TV shows and DVDs that are based on books. For a complete list of January's offerings, please click here.
Brazen Munich – The Edge of War Redeeming Love Series Finale "Station Eleven" (10-episode limited series) Season Finale "Dexter: New Blood" On DVD Dune The Dry    More Reviews This WeekNO LAND TO LIGHT ON by Yara Zgheib (Fiction) WHERE THE DROWNED GIRLS GO by Seanan McGuire (Fantasy) A DEADLY AFFAIR: Unexpected Love Stories from the Queen of Mystery by Agatha Christie (Mystery/Short Stories) OBSERVATIONS BY GASLIGHT: Stories from the World of Sherlock Holmes by Lyndsay Faye (Mystery/Short Stories) - Click here to read our interview with Lyndsay Faye. TWENTY YEARS LATER by Charlie Donlea (Mystery/Thriller) THE REPLACEMENT WIFE by Darby Kane (Psychological Thriller) CUTTHROAT DOGS: An Amos Walker Mystery by Loren D. Estleman (Mystery) TREACHERY TIMES TWO: A Koa Kane Hawaiian Mystery by Robert McCaw (Mystery)   
Next Week’s Notables:
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