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What Are You Going to Put in Your Basket?
We know we have added a number of new subscribers in the last few weeks, so I wanted to take a moment to welcome you to the Bookreporter newsletter!
Okay...is it me, or does it already feel like we are well into the year instead of just 14 days in?
Perhaps in a spirit of optimism, I have been giving some thought as to what happens when the pandemic is over. I am not sure how many more words in the Greek alphabet we need to learn; I hope none! A publishing colleague put it well when she said it is like the Lambda Delta Omicron Sorority has been trying to recruit us, and we are all trying not to accept the bid.
I am pondering something that my cousin, Maryann, said to me about six months ago about post-pandemic life. She did not think she was going to go back to doing all of the same things that she had done before March 2020. I thought about it, and I look at it this way: It’s like if you have a basket of things you do, it has been emptied over the last almost two years. So what goes back? So much has changed. What are you doing now that you want to continue? What are you craving getting back to? Are all the same things going back into your basket? As we try to channel normalcy returning, think about this. What do you want to put in your basket?
And while we are thinking deep thoughts here, let’s note that Mercury is in retrograde until February 3rd. Longtime readers will know what that means. For those who would like to refresh their memories, or are new, here’s what you need to know about Mercury Retrograde, which will be happening four times in 2022.
Drum roll, please…
Congratulations to Janice H. from Springfield, MO, who is the Grand Prize winner in our End-of-the-Year Contest! She has won all 44 of my Bookreporter.com Bets On titles from 2021, while 11 other winners are receiving a selection of four of these books. Click here to see if you are one of them! And for those of you who missed the video and podcast where I talked about last year’s Bets On picks with our fabulous producer Austin, you can watch my wrap-up here and listen to it here. I am planning to send out these prizes next week (the packing boxes arrived yesterday)!
We hosted our first “Bookaccino Live” preview event of 2022 on Wednesday afternoon. I talked about 33 books releasing between now and February 1st, along with seven from March, that I wanted to get on your radar. You can watch it here and see a list of the featured titles here.
Next month’s “Bookaccino Live” preview event will take place on Wednesday, February 9th at 2pm ET. I will present titles releasing between February 8th and March 1st, along with a few from April, that I think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up. Those attending the live event will be asked to answer a survey about the books from the presentation that they are most interested in reading and will be eligible to win a prize.
I am thrilled to announce that Lisa Scottoline will be our first “Bookaccino Live” Book Group guest of 2022. The event will take place on Wednesday, February 23rd at 8pm ET, and you can sign up for it here. We will be talking about Lisa’s first historical novel, ETERNAL, a Bets On selection from last year that releases in paperback on February 1st.
After I talk to her, we will take questions from our attendees. If you have a question that you would like to ask on camera during the event, please email it to me using the subject line “Question for Lisa Scottoline.” ETERNAL was one of my favorite books of 2021, and I continue to be fascinated by the research that Lisa did for it, so I am looking forward to our discussion!
ETERNAL is the prize in our current “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com. Three groups will win up to 12 paperback copies of the book; to enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, February 9th at noon ET.
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Xochitl Gonzalez, whose debut novel, OLGA DIES DREAMING, we reviewed last week. It’s also our current Fiction Author Spotlight title and an upcoming Bets On pick.
Olga is a wedding planner for New York socialite types, and she deftly handles all of their quirks and high-end dreams. Her brother is a politician in Brooklyn who strives to represent the Puerto Rican community. While they seem to be in control of their lives, these appearances are deceiving. Both are haunted by their absent mother, who was a revolutionary in Puerto Rico. In the wake of Hurricane Maria, their lives collide with her again.
In the interview, Xochitl explains how her life and work have been influenced by growing up in Brooklyn. She talks about writing OLGA DIES DREAMING, which started at the Iowa Writers' Workshop and was once conceived as a memoir. She also penned the Hulu pilot script for the book and shares her writing process for that, as well as what it was like being on set with the cast and crew. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. Find out why I’m betting you’ll love this book in next week’s newsletter.
Nita Prose on “GMA”
Also next week, don’t miss my Bets On commentary for another highly anticipated debut, THE MAID by Nita Prose. We featured our review in last week’s newsletter, and it’s this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick. Nita was on “GMA” yesterday to talk about the book and her inspiration for writing it. You can watch the segment here. I had the pleasure of chatting with Nita on Wednesday. The interview will be up on our YouTube channel next week, and we will feature it in next week’s newsletter, along with my Bets On commentary.
A community’s past sins rise to the surface in Diane Chamberlain’s new novel of domestic suspense, THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET, which will be a Bets On pick. Two women, a generation apart, find themselves bound by tragedy and an unsolved, decades-old mystery.
Our reviewer Pamela Kramer says, “Don't miss this brilliant novel. It's historical fiction with several mysteries embedded in the plot; a love story; a remarkable view of the Deep South and the bigotry and prejudice that were a core part of the lives of most Southerners; an indictment of those in law enforcement who all too often were members of the KKK; and a story of family and friendship.” I will share my thoughts on the book later this month; I absolutely loved it. Diane did a brilliant job of melding the dual timelines.
Word of Mouth Reminder
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET is one of our current Word of Mouth prizes; the other is THE GOOD SON by Jacquelyn Mitchard, which we plan to review next week. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll have an opportunity to win both these titles. Please do so by Friday, January 21st at noon ET.
The disappearance of a young woman leaves her best friend reeling and an NYPD homicide detective digging into her own past in Alafair Burke’s latest twisty mystery, FIND ME.
According to Pamela Kramer, “The mystery seems confusing at times because there are so many pieces that Burke keeps suspended in the air, like a magician doing a juggling act…with people and crimes instead of bowling pins. But stick with it; the confusion is purposeful. It all will become clear, and brilliantly so. For Burke is guilty of a bit of misdirection herself as she presents conclusions that we all too trustingly believe.”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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SEASONAL WORK: Laura Lippman has produced a suspenseful collection of stories featuring fierce women, including one never-before-published novella.
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TO PARADISE: Hanya Yanagihara follows up her award-winning A LITTLE LIFE with a novel spanning three centuries and three different versions of the American experiment. It is this month’s #1 Indie Next pick.
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THE FINAL CASE: David Guterson’s first courtroom drama since SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS is also a moving father-son story and a bold examination of privilege, power and how to live a meaningful life.
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A FLICKER IN THE DARK: “Monsters don’t hide in the woods. They aren’t shadows in the trees or invisible things lurking in darkened corners. No, the real monsters move in plain sight.” Karin Slaughter calls Stacy Willingham’s debut thriller “[a] smart, edge-of-your-seat story with plot twists you’ll never see coming.”
Remember to Vote in Our Poll
Our poll continues to ask about your reading goals for 2022. How many print books and e-books are you planning to read this year? And how many audiobooks do you think you will listen to? Let us know by clicking here.
Don’t Miss the Buzz Books Editors Panel!
On Wednesday, January 26th at 7pm ET, join editors as they interview their authors about fabulous titles that are releasing this spring and summer. Sponsored by Publishers Lunch and the American Booksellers Association, this free Zoom event will be hosted by Emma Straub. Scroll further down the newsletter for all the details! I am planning to attend.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: Mindy wrote after getting the email with a link to the “Bookaccino Live” video in it, “Thank you, Carol!! Happy New Year! Thank you for all the great book discussions and all you do to promote authors and reading!” For those who heard me say that I was looking for a recipe for the black cake that is referenced in BLACK CAKE by Charmaine Wilkerson, someone else named Mindy found a recipe for it here.
The Tender Bar: Tom and I watched this film last Friday night on Amazon Prime, and it was really well done. It made me want to reread the book. Here’s what to know about the author, J.R. Moehringer, and the real bar that he wrote about.
“60 Minutes” segment on StoryCorps: I loved this piece with Dave Isay, who “has created a program called ‘One Small Step’ to get Americans from across the political spectrum to stop demonizing one another and start communicating --- face to face, one conversation at a time. 'One Small Step' grew out of 'StoryCorps' --- the oral history project Dave Isay founded 18 years ago. It has taped more than half a million Americans telling their stories --- to become the largest single collection of human voices ever recorded, with one aim at its core.”
The Lost Daughter on Netflix: Okay, for those who watched, here’s a piece you may enjoy. And I owe at least two people notes about this movie from what I said last week in the newsletter!
Netflix Book Club: Spotlight on “Stay Close” with Harlan Coben: This book club looks at the books that some Netflix shows are based on. Here’s Harlan talking about the book and the series with the program’s host, Uzo Aduba.
"Cheer" on Netflix (season two): I loved season one, which is amusing since I cannot even execute a cartwheel. Since then, Jerry Harris, who was one of the student athletes at the heart of the season, was arrested on sex abuse charges. The show addresses this right off the bat in the first episode of season two, and then episode five looks at it in-depth. Once again, it hits on the skills of this team --- and here looks at a fierce competitor.
Maya Angelou and the Quarter: I read this in Morning Brew: “Maya Angelou just became the first Black woman to grace the quarter. The new coin, which the US Mint started shipping Monday, features the poet on its tails side shadowed by a flying bird --- a nod to her famous autobiography, I KNOW WHY THE CAGED BIRD SINGS. Angelou’s is the first of 20 quarter designs that will be issued over the next four years and give some much-deserved monetary facetime to women.”
I am reading --- and loving --- GREENWICH PARK by Katherine Faulkner, which releases on January 25th. I have about 75 pages left to read, and I still am trying to guess what happens next. Who IS Rachel? I am hoping to schedule an interview with Katherine. And yes, it will be a Bets On selection.
A number of you wrote last week asking me about the pot holder pro-sized loom and loops that I have been working with. My husband bought the loom and loops for me at Purl Soho. I ordered more loops, which just arrived, from Acorns & Twigs.
Well, we still did not take down any of the Christmas decorations here at the house, so that is on the agenda for the weekend. So is making a fire in the fireplace and sitting and reading, another thing that never happened last weekend!
On Sunday afternoon at 3pm ET, I am hosting a panel with Deborah Goodrich Royce and Susan Wingate at the International Pulpwood Queens Girlfriend Weekend (which has turned into a weeklong event), so I have some prepping to do for that.
Cory is in Boston this weekend; Greg is making his way towards home after his three-week trek out west. For the past two weeks, he has been working along the way and doing tourist things at night and on weekends. On Sunday night, he is staying in Charleston with our good friend Cathy, who moved there last spring. He is so excited for what we call a “spont opportunity,” since he has been free-forming his agenda and this was not on his original radar. He planned to be inland, but it looks like the weather will be a factor there, so he plans to hug the coast on his way home. He should be home on Monday night.
Cory’s birthday is next Sunday, so we are going to have dinner with him on Thursday night. Now let’s see if both of the boys want fudge marble cake again this year!
Please take a moment this weekend to reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s message and legacy.
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:
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET by Diane Chamberlain
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET by Diane Chamberlain (Domestic Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Susan Bennett
1965: Growing up in the well-to-do town of Round Hill, North Carolina, Ellie Hockley has chosen to spend her summer break as a volunteer helping to register Black voters. But as she follows her ideals fighting for the civil rights of the marginalized, her scandalized parents scorn her efforts, and her neighbors reveal their prejudices. 2010: Architect Kayla Carter and her husband designed a beautiful house for themselves in Round Hill’s new development, Shadow Ridge Estates. It was supposed to be a home where they could raise their three-year-old daughter and grow old together. Instead, it’s the place where Kayla’s husband died in an accident. And her neighbor, Ellie Hockley, is harboring long-buried secrets about the dark history of the land where her house was built. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary later this month.
Fiction Author Spotlight:
OLGA DIES DREAMING by Xochitl Gonzalez
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
OLGA DIES DREAMING by Xochitl Gonzalez (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Almarie Guerra, Inés del Castillo and Armando Riesco
It's 2017, and Olga and her brother, Pedro “Prieto” Acevedo, are boldfaced names in their hometown of New York. Prieto is a popular congressman representing their gentrifying Latinx neighborhood in Brooklyn, while Olga is the tony wedding planner for Manhattan’s power brokers.
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 our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read Xochitl Gonzalez's bio.
- Click here to visit Xochitl Gonzalez's website.
- Connect with Xochitl Gonzalez on Twitter and Instagram.
Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview
with Xochitl Gonzalez.
Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more in our Fiction Author Spotlight.
OLGA DIES DREAMING will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.
Featured Review: FIND ME by Alafair Burke
FIND ME by Alafair Burke (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kathleen Early
She calls herself Hope Miller, but she has no idea who she actually is. Fifteen years ago, she was found in a small New Jersey town thrown from an overturned vehicle. She eventually started a new life with a new name in a new town that welcomed her, yet she always wondered what she may have left behind. Now, she’s leaving New Jersey to start over once again. Her friend, Manhattan defense lawyer Lindsay Kelly, discovers that she has vanished without a trace --- the only lead a drop of blood found where she was last seen. Even more ominously, the blood matches a DNA sample with a connection to a notorious Kansas murderer. Lindsay calls NYPD homicide detective Ellie Hatcher, who fears that Hope’s recent disappearance could be related to her father's death 20 years earlier. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: SEASONAL WORK by Laura Lippman
SEASONAL WORK: Stories by Laura Lippman (Mystery/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by various narrators
In the never-before-published “Just One More,” a married couple --- longing for that old romantic spark --- creates a playful diversion that comes with unexpected consequences. Laura Lippman's beloved Baltimore PI Tess Monaghan keeps a watchful eye on a criminally resourceful single father in “Seasonal Work,” while her mother, Judith, realizes that the life of “The Everyday Housewife” is an excellent cover for all kinds of secrets. In “Slow Burner,” a husband’s secret cell phone proves to be a dicey temptation for a suspicious wife. A father’s hidden past piques the curiosity of a young snoop in “The Last of Sheila-Locke Holmes.” SEASONAL WORK includes seven other brilliantly crafted stories of deception, murder, dangerous games and love gone wrong. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: TO PARADISE by Hanya Yanagihara
TO PARADISE by Hanya Yanagihara (Fiction)
In an alternate version of 1893 America, New York is part of the Free States, where people may live and love whomever they please (or so it seems). The fragile young scion of a distinguished family resists betrothal to a worthy suitor, drawn to a charming music teacher of no means. In a 1993 Manhattan besieged by the AIDS epidemic, a young Hawaiian man lives with his much older, wealthier partner, hiding his troubled childhood and the fate of his father. And in 2093, in a world riven by plagues and governed by totalitarian rule, a powerful scientist’s damaged granddaughter tries to navigate life without him --- and solve the mystery of her husband’s disappearances. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE FINAL CASE by David Guterson
THE FINAL CASE by David Guterson (Literary Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by George Newbern
A girl dies one late, rainy night a few feet from the back door of her home. The girl, Abeba, was born in Ethiopia. Her adoptive parents, Delvin and Betsy Harvey --- conservative, white fundamentalist Christians --- are charged with her murder. Royal, a Seattle criminal attorney in the last days of his long career, takes Betsy Harvey’s case. An octogenarian without a driver’s license, he leans on his son --- the novel’s narrator --- as he prepares for trial. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: A FLICKER IN THE DARK
by Stacy Willingham
A FLICKER IN THE DARK by Stacy Willingham (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Karissa Vacker
When Chloe Davis was 12, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, her own father had confessed to the crimes and was put away for life, leaving Chloe and the rest of her family to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath. Now, 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. While she finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to achieve, she sometimes feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. So when a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Register for the Buzz Books Editors Panel
on January 26th: A Free Virtual Event
YOU DON'T KNOW US NEGROES AND OTHER ESSAYS written by Zora Neale Hurston, edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Genevieve West (Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Robin Miles
YOU DON'T KNOW US NEGROES is the quintessential gathering of provocative essays from one of the world’s most celebrated writers, Zora Neale Hurston. Spanning more than three decades and penned during the backdrop of the birth of the Harlem Renaissance, Montgomery bus boycott, desegregation of the military and school integration, Hurston’s writing articulates the beauty and authenticity of Black life as only she could. Collectively, these essays showcase the roles that enslavement and Jim Crow have played in intensifying Black people’s inner lives and culture rather than destroying it. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
A NARROW DOOR by Joanne Harris (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Alex Kingston and Steven Pacey
It's an incendiary moment for St Oswald's school. For the first time in its history, a headmistress is in power, the gates opening to girls. Rebecca Buckfast has spilled blood to reach this position. Barely 40, she is just starting to reap the harvest of her ambition. As the new regime takes on the old guard, the ground shifts. And with it, the remains of a body are discovered. But Rebecca is here to make her mark. She'll bury the past so deep it will evade even her own memory, just like she has done before. After all, you can't keep a good woman down. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE DOOMSDAY MOTHER: Lori Vallow, Chad Daybell, and the End of an American Family by John Glatt (True Crime)
Audiobook available, read by Shaun Grindell
At first, the residents of Kauai Beach Resort took little notice of their new neighbors. The couple seemed to keep to themselves --- until the police knocked on their door with a search warrant. Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell had fled to Hawaii in the midst of being investigated for the disappearance of Lori’s children, Tylee and JJ, back in Idaho. As authorities searched for the missing children, they uncovered more suspicious deaths with links to both Lori and Chad. In June 2020, the remains of JJ and Tylee were discovered on Chad’s property, and the newlyweds were charged with murder. And in a shocking development, horrifying statements revealed that their fanatical beliefs had convinced them the children had become zombies. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
ALL I WANT by Darcey Bell (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Emily Tremaine, Kevin R. Free and Madeleine Maby
When Emma’s husband, Ben, falls in love with a large Victorian mansion for sale in upstate New York, he swears to her the fixer-upper will be worth the risk. With a baby on the way, Emma would like to live in a charming, safe community --- and in a space larger than a one-bedroom New York City apartment. On impulse, she agrees to Ben’s plan and they put in an offer on the house. Sure, the mansion has a somewhat creepy backstory and is a bit dilapidated, but Emma and Ben are in this together. Aren't they? When strange things start happening, Emma begins to experience a little buyer’s remorse. What’s the real history of this house? Is its dark history repeating itself? Why does her husband suddenly seem so distant? Is she in danger? Is her baby? Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
YONDER by Jabari Asim (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Lamarr Gulley, JD Jackson, Adam Lazarre-White, Imani Jade Powers and Kylah Williams
Cato and William meet at Placid Hall, a plantation in an unspecified part of the American South. Subject to the whims of their tyrannical and eccentric captor, Cannonball Greene, they never know what harm may befall them: inhumane physical toil in the plantation’s quarry by day, a beating by night, or the sale of a loved one at any moment. The latter hurts the reserved and stubborn William, who finds himself falling for Margaret, a small but mighty woman with self-possession beyond her years. And it hurts Cato, whose first love, Iris, was sold off with no forewarning. He now finds solace in his hearty band of friends. But their relationships begin to fray when a visiting minister with a mysterious past starts to fill their heads with ideas about independence. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
ANTOINETTE'S SISTER by Diana Giovinazzo (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Marisa Calin
Austria, 1767: Maria Carolina Charlotte --- the 10th daughter and one of 16 children of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria --- knows her position as a Habsburg archduchess will inevitably force her to leave her home, family and cherished sister, Antoinette, whose companionship she values over all else. But not yet. The Habsburg family is celebrating a great triumph: Charlotte’s older sister, Josepha, has been promised to King Ferdinand IV of Naples and will soon take her place as queen. Before she can journey to her new home, however, tragedy strikes. After visiting the family crypt, Josepha contracts smallpox and dies. Shocked, Charlotte is forced to face an unthinkable new reality: she now must marry Ferdinand in her sister’s stead. Reviewed by Carly Silver.
MY ANNIHILATION written by Fuminori Nakamura, translated by Sam Bett (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Brian Nishii
With MY ANNIHILATION, Fuminori Nakamura, master of literary noir, has constructed a puzzle box of a narrative in the form of a confessional diary that implicates its reader in a heinous crime. Delving relentlessly into the darkest corners of human consciousness, the novel interrogates the unspeakable thoughts all humans share that can be monstrous when brought to life, revealing with disturbing honesty the psychological motives of a killer. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on January 18th
Below are some notable titles releasing on January 18th 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 January 17th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
DESOLATION CANYON by P. J. Tracy (Mystery/Thriller)
P. J. Tracy “seems to have found her literary sweet spot” (New York Times Book Review) with her dazzling new series, and in DESOLATION CANYON, fans get a deeper look into the complex characters who call Los Angeles home.
ENOUGH ALREADY: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli (Memoir)
Beloved actress and New York Times bestselling author Valerie Bertinelli returns with a heartfelt look at turning 60, the futility of finding happiness in numbers on a scale, learning to love herself the way she is today, and tips for a healthier outlook on life.
THE GOOD SON by Jacquelyn Mitchard (Fiction)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jacquelyn Mitchard comes the gripping, emotionally charged novel of a mother who must help her son after he is convicted of a devastating crime.
JOAN IS OKAY by Weike Wang (Fiction)
JOAN IS OKAY is a witty, moving, piercingly insightful new novel about a marvelously complicated woman who can’t be anyone but herself, from the award-winning author of CHEMISTRY.
LORRAINE HANSBERRY: The Life Behind A Raisin in the Sun by Charles J. Shields (Biography)
LORRAINE HANSBERRY is the moving story of the life of the woman behind A RAISIN IN THE SUN, the most widely anthologized, read and performed play of the American stage, by the New York Times bestselling author of MOCKINGBIRD: A Portrait of Harper Lee.
MUST LOVE BOOKS by Shauna Robinson (Fiction)
THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL meets "Younger" in a heartfelt debut following a young woman who discovers she'll have to ditch the "dream job" and write her own story to find her happy ending.
ONE STEP TOO FAR by Lisa Gardner (Mystery/Thriller)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Lisa Gardner comes a thrilling new novel that sends missing persons expert Frankie Elkin into a national forest in Wyoming looking for a young man who disappeared without a trace.
PUTTING THE RABBIT IN THE HAT: A Memoir by Brian Cox (Memoir)
PUTTING THE RABBIT IN THE HAT is the incredible rags-to-riches story of acclaimed actor Brian Cox, best known as Logan Roy from "Succession," from a troubled, working-class upbringing in Scotland to a prolific career across theater, film and television.
REMINDERS OF HIM by Colleen Hoover (Romance)
A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover.
ROBERT B. PARKER'S BYE BYE BABY: A Spenser Novel by Ace Atkins (Mystery)
Boston PI Spenser takes on a new case in this 50th installment in Robert B. Parker's iconic New York Times bestselling series.
THE RUNAWAY: A Peter Ash Novel by Nick Petrie (Thriller)
When Peter Ash rescues a stranded woman, he finds she’s in far deeper trouble than he ever could have imagined in this powerful new thriller in Nick Petrie's bestselling and award-winning series.
SOMEBODY’S HOME by Kaira Rouda (Domestic Thriller)
A quiet neighborhood. A lovely home. A promising new beginning. In a heartbeat everything can change in this propulsive novel of suspense by USA Today bestselling author Kaira Rouda.
YOU DON'T KNOW US NEGROES AND OTHER ESSAYS written by Zora Neale Hurston, edited by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. and Genevieve West (Essays)
Spanning more than 35 years of work, this first comprehensive collection of essays, criticism and articles by the legendary author of the Harlem Renaissance, Zora Neale Hurston, showcases the evolution of her distinctive style as an archivist and author.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Weike Wang, Charles J. Shields, Lisa Gardner
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, January 17th at 9pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host T. Jefferson Parker as he discusses his new book, A THOUSAND STEPS, with C.J. Box.
Tuesday, January 18th at 7:30pm ET: Macmillan Publishers: Join New York Times bestselling biographer Charles J. Shields for a virtual discussion of his latest book, LORRAINE HANSBERRY: The Life Behind A Raisin in the Sun, with Alison Cuddy.
Tuesday, January 18th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Lisa Gardner will discuss her new thriller, ONE STEP TOO FAR, with Caroline Kepnes.
Wednesday, January 19th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry --- will talk to Jillian Cantor (BEAUTIFUL LITTLE FOOLS), Jenny Judson and Danielle Mahfood (THE LAST SEASON).
Wednesday, January 19th at 7pm ET: McNally Jackson: Join Weike Wang for the virtual launch of her new novel, JOAN IS OKAY, which is about a marvelously complicated woman who can’t be anyone but herself.
Wednesday, January 19th at 8pm ET: Murder By The Book: Lisa Gardner will be in conversation with Mary Kubica about her latest thriller, ONE STEP TOO FAR.
Thursday, January 20th at 7pm ET: Avon Free Public Library: Join Avon Free Public Library for a virtual event with Alafair Burke, in conversation with Ivy Pochoda, about her new thriller, FIND ME.
Thursday, January 20th at 7:30pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Stacy Willingham will discuss her debut thriller, A FLICKER IN THE DARK, which Karin Slaughter calls "[a] smart, edge-of-your-seat story with plot twists you’ll never see coming."
Friday, January 21st at 2pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Lars Kepler will discuss his new Killer Instinct thriller featuring Detective Joona Linna, THE MIRROR MAN, with special guest host Brad Thor.
Friday, January 21st at 7pm ET: Loganberry Books: Thrity Umrigar and Paula McLain will be in conversation about Thrity’s dazzling new book, HONOR, which is this month's Reese's Book Club pick.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)
Here is our latest interview:
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: Your Reading Goals for 2022
How many print books and e-books are you planning to read in 2022? How many audiobooks are you planning to listen to?
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1-10
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11-20
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21-30
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31-40
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41-50
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51-75
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76-100
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More than 100
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None
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I’m not sure.
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, January 21st 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 January 7th to January 21st at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE GOOD SON by Jacquelyn Mitchard and THE LAST HOUSE ON THE STREET by Diane Chamberlain.
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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