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History, Planting, Crying and Crashing --- In That Order!
My husband enjoys reading, but he prefers thick tomes about subjects like the American Revolution, Lincoln, the Civil War and World War II. He does listen to reading recommendations from me, and I very carefully hone my selections. I wanted him to read WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BENNETTS by Lisa Scottoline so we could talk about it. I was fascinated by what happens when you go into witness protection. So last week, I was stalking him as he read yet another book about the American Revolution. At one point, he told me he had about 40 pages left. I said, “Let me tell you how it ends.” He gave me a look that said, no matter what I learned in fourth-grade history that I now wanted to share, he was going to finish this book.
There was no announcement that he was starting “the Bennetts.” He did tell me at one point that it had a really quick start and he was into the story. I tried not to ask too many questions. Tom is not someone who writes a book review when he talks about a book. On Thursday morning, he told me that he had not gotten a lot of sleep on Wednesday night. He had to finish the book; he was that into it. “Really enjoyed it; it was good!” Aha, now we can have a discussion about what would happen in our pretend lives in witness protection. He would just ask the FBI to bring him some history books...and wait, we would need to be housed where there was at least a putting green, and maybe a golf course, that he could creep onto in the twilight hours!
Last weekend with the holiday was go, go, go, and this week has been very busy too. I have no plans this weekend, which is really good as I have lots of reading to do for interview prep! I made a number of late April/early May interview commitments. Yesterday I flipped the calendar and realized that April has just one more week left. I am so happy that I read quickly. I am crossing my fingers for nice weather this weekend so maybe I can plant myself in a lounge chair to read.
Speaking of plants, they are coming up, and I am searching for my notes on what is planted where. I did a terrible job of clearing the gardens last fall, so I am seeing some new greenery showing beneath dead plants. Wait, maybe I can think of this as a new way of composting by leaving it there. Um, no. The hosta garden that was planted last year is coming up, which means my first weekend task has to be to ensure that the deer fencing is up. At least one made it through an open fence a couple of years ago when we were out of town for a night. I think he or she brought friends with big appetites, and they just chowed down everywhere.
I am vowing to show self-control when I am doing summer planting this year. I am skipping lettuces and vegetables as my lettuce was tasty, but it never got to be robust. It was perfect for the kind of mini-salad that one is served in a high-end restaurant where the tab is high and the portions are tiny. The tab on my end was for the plants. My radishes were pathetic. The broccoli never grew. We have a number of great farmers' markets in the area, so I am going to support them, give up my green acres dream and instead spread color around. I also have learned that summer flowers come in in waves, and I want to save some flower budget for summer shipment two and summer shipment three at the nursery. Now I am going to print this paragraph, blow it up and hang it over my desk to remind me that restraint is a good thing.
Now onward to what we bookishly have been up to!
On Wednesday night, we hosted our latest "Bookaccino Live" Book Group event. Our guest was Miranda Cowley Heller, and we had a wonderful conversation about her debut novel, THE PAPER PALACE, which is now out in paperback. It was an instant New York Times bestseller, a Barnes & Noble Book Club pick, a Reese’s Book Club pick, and a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection when it released in hardcover last year.
I thoroughly enjoyed reconnecting with Miranda. She talked about the depth of her characters and the need to see the situation through their eyes in order to grasp the complexity of their choices. She also explained her decision to write in first person and set the book in a specific time frame. During the event, we conducted a poll where we asked our attendees what they thought about the ending (which was so much fun!), and Miranda discussed her choice to write it the way she did.
If you missed the event, or would like to revisit any part of it, you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here.
Please note that THE PAPER PALACE is the latest prize in our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com. We are giving three readers the chance to win up to 12 copies of the book for their group. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, May 11th at noon ET.
I am thrilled to announce that Janet Skeslien Charles will be our next “Bookaccino Live” Book Group guest. The event will be held on Wednesday, May 25th at 8pm ET, and you can sign up for it here. We will be talking about Janet’s novel, THE PARIS LIBRARY, an instant New York Times bestseller and a Bets On selection. The hardcover released last year, and the paperback is now available.
Just as we did on Wednesday night, there will be a two-part Q&A session after I talk to Janet. For the first part, those who are asking a question “on camera” will be featured. This includes spending time with Janet backstage in our virtual green room before the show starts. If you would like to ask your question "live on screen" this way, please email it to me using the subject line “Question for Janet.” For those who are camera shy, there will be a traditional Q&A segment as well. I interviewed Janet last February, so I am looking forward to catching up with her and having much more conversation about the book.
Next Saturday, April 30th at 12:15pm ET, I will be interviewing Jean Hanff Korelitz virtually about her new novel, THE LATECOMER, which has a terrific premise. There are triplets --- Harrison, Lewyn and Sally ---- who are born via IVF. As the three leave for college, their mother, Johanna, decides to have a fourth child, using another egg that was harvested, which becomes known as the “latecomer.” Just what will this mean for the family? The book will be in stores on May 31st, and I will be previewing it in this discussion with Jean. You can register for the event here.
DREAM TOWN, the third installment in David Baldacci’s series starring Aloysius Archer, is now in stores. This time, the private investigator and World War II veteran heads to Los Angeles, the city where dreams are made and shattered, and is ensnared in a lethal case.
Our reviewer Ray Palen calls the book “a great depiction of the dark side of Hollywood as seen through the eyes of a world-weary PI with a heart who always wants to finish the job and do right by his client. Baldacci has produced another story that is so easy to fall into and get lost in, to the point where it becomes more about the journey than the destination.”
James Rollins has penned the latest entry in his Sigma Force series, KINGDOM OF BONES, which is told with his trademark blend of cutting-edge science, historical mystery and pulse-pounding action. To head off a global catastrophe, Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force must risk their lives to uncover the shattering secret at the heart of the African continent.
According to Ray Palen, “The finale is so mind-blowing that I can barely describe it, nor do I wish to spoil it. This could be Rollins’ most important work as it is extremely frightening. Yet, in his expert hands, he has transformed the subject matter into high-octane fiction that is impossible to put down or forget.”
DIAMONDS AND DEADLINES by Betsy Prioleau is the first major biography of the glamorous and scandalous Miriam Leslie, a titan of publishing and an unsung hero of women’s suffrage. The book restores Mrs. Frank Leslie to her rightful place in history as a monumental businesswoman who presaged the feminist future and reflected, in bold relief, the Gilded Age.
Barbara Bamberger Scott has our review and says, “Betsy Prioleau presents Miriam’s life in fine detail, from her undistinguished birth to her remarkable legacy…. Prioleau frankly reveals Miriam’s unabashed lusts and self-seeking proclivities, while extolling her strengths, seeing her as a woman whom history unfairly forgot.” Betsy has a wonderful eight-part blog on her website where she shares even more with readers about life in the Gilded Age and the colorful characters who surround Miriam.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY: Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel, which is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick, introduces readers to Elizabeth Zott, a one-of-a-kind scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the star of a beloved TV cooking show. I have heard raves about this one, and I have a copy on my reading pile once my interview prep work is done!
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DEATH OF THE BLACK WIDOW: She destroys the men she loves --- and escapes every time. The most dangerous killer James Patterson has ever created (with the assistance of J. D. Barker) is also his most seductive.
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LEFT ON TENTH: Delia Ephron, the beloved writer of romantic comedies like You've Got Mail, tells her own late-in-life love story in her new memoir, complete with a tragic second act and joyous resolution.
Our "Books Mom Will Love" Contest
You have until Friday, May 6th at noon ET to enter our Mother's Day contest, where five readers will win eight fabulous fiction and nonfiction titles for themselves or the mom in their lives. Among them are WHERE THE CHILDREN TAKE US: How One Family Achieved the Unimaginable by Zain E. Asher, THE LOST BOOK OF ELEANOR DARE by Kimberly Brock, and RUBY FALLS by Deborah Goodrich Royce. Click here to take a look at this year’s Mother’s Day prize books.
Word of Mouth Reminder
Submit your comments about the books you’ve read by Friday, April 29th at noon ET, and you'll have a chance to win our two Word of Mouth prizes: CITY ON FIRE by Don Winslow and THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE by Adriana Trigiani. We’re planning to feature reviews of both these titles in next week’s newsletter.
Remember to Vote in Our Poll
Our poll continues to ask about your book-buying habits. Approximately what percentage of the books that you read do you buy, and where do you purchase them? Let us know what you do by clicking here.
In a separate contest, W. W. Norton & Company, the publisher of FENCING WITH THE KING, is giving 60 book groups the chance to win a virtual book club visit from Diana Abu-Jaber where the book will be discussed. The winners also will receive a digital file that includes a reading group guide for the book, along with a video greeting from Diana and a recipe courtesy of her. Click here to access the entry form and learn all the details of this exciting book club opportunity.
Oprah’s latest Book Club pick (her 95th) is Viola Davis’ memoir, FINDING ME, which releases on Tuesday. Oprah says, “There are so many lessons to be learned from this breathtaking memoir about triumphing over adversity and trauma. Viola Davis leaves it all on the page --- from her beginnings in South Carolina as the fifth of six children born in a sharecropper’s shack to acclaim as an actor, producer, and philanthropist. I was so moved by this book that I just had to share it with our entire OBC audience.” Oprah recently talked to Viola in-depth about the book, and their conversation is now streaming on Netflix.
I love Santa Fe; it’s one of my favorite places. So I wanted to bring to your attention the inaugural Santa Fe Literary Festival, which will take place at the Santa Fe Convention Center on May 20-23. The festival will kick off on Friday evening, May 20th, with Colson Whitehead, followed by an entire weekend of programming, including large and small lectures and conversations, lunches with celebrated chefs and cookbook authors, and walking tours with acclaimed authors. The stellar author lineup includes Margaret Atwood, George R. R. Martin, John Grisham, Craig Johnson, Emily St. John Mandel, Jon Krakauer, Sandra Cisneros, and so many more. Click here for all the details and here to purchase your tickets.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: A couple of our readers caught my interview with Chris Whitaker last night as we celebrated the paperback release of WE BEGIN AT THE END, which was one of my favorite books of 2021. Debbie said, “You were right, Chris Whitaker has an amazing backstory. Loved your interview with him tonight.” And Jill wrote, “I saw your first interview with Chris, which was excellent, and this one, too, was a great hour. I wish they asked my question. I wanted to know if Chris ever went back to the trading desk and handed all those people around the table his book!” I asked Chris and am awaiting his reply. We hope to have that interview to share with you soon.
“Anatomy of a Scandal” on Netflix: I binged this series, which is based on the book by Sarah Vaughan. A lot of it worked for me, enough to keep me watching one after the other. But the end of the first episode made me crazy, and the falling back (literally) kept up from there at the end of episodes. I cannot give any more away without spoiling things, but I will say that I often recognize people from my past.
“This Is Us” on NBC: We are crawling towards the last five episodes of the series that many of us do not want to end. I am savoring each episode and marveling at how the story pivots backward and forward, and all the Easter eggs planted there that we probably have missed. I would love to sit down sometime and watch the episodes back to back, once I know how they end, to see how we got there. I feel like it is a show that should be studied for how well it did with storytelling. The cast was crying during this week’s episode, and I think it was about more than a wedding. At a time when stars are all about getting paid more, this cast made a decision to opt for salary equality back in season two. It’s not something you hear about in Hollywood. This article about it is really terrific; they saw themselves as an ensemble cast. It made me love the show even more, and look at how they felt about their season six bonuses. Very interesting.
“WeCrashed” Finale on Apple TV+: Tonight I am going to watch the final episode of “WeCrashed,” the story of WeWork. In it, Adam crashes. I am not telling you anything that the news did not tell you. But he walked away rich while crashing.
White Hot: The Rise & Fall of Abercrombie & Fitch on Netflix: I started watching this last night. It's very interesting about a brand that was so cool. Years ago, I was shopping in a mall with my friend, Mindy. She said she wanted to look for a shirt and that Abercrombie & Fitch might have it. Mindy used to write for sitcoms, and she has a really dry sense of humor. As we walked in, she said, “The cool vibe has now gone down 10% with my arrival.” Most of the model-like salespeople ignored us. She found a shirt and wanted to try it on. She then found someone to steer her to a dressing room, and after she came out, he walked her to the checkout. She said, “This has nothing to do with helping me. It is to get me out of here as quickly as possible to not upset the demo.” I could not stop laughing. And yes, watching just a bit of this film brought up that memory.
Greg is headed to Virginia for a Land Rover event. My weekend will be all about reading like I am a student studying for finals. Next Thursday night, I am trying to leave my evening free to go to an event at Watchung Booksellers where Theresa Brown, the author of HEALING: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient, will be speaking. If you are going to be there, let me know!
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: DREAM TOWN by David Baldacci
DREAM TOWN: An Archer Novel by David Baldacci (Historical Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini and Brittany Pressley
Aloysius Archer is in Los Angeles to ring in the New Year with an old friend, aspiring actress Liberty Callahan, when their evening is interrupted by an acquaintance of Callahan’s: Eleanor Lamb, a screenwriter in dire straits. After a series of increasingly chilling events, Eleanor fears that her life is in danger, and she wants to hire Archer to look into the matter. Archer suspects that Eleanor knows more than she’s saying, but before he can officially take on her case, a dead body turns up inside of Eleanor’s home…and Eleanor herself disappears. With the help of Callahan and his partner, Willie Dash, Archer launches an investigation that will take him from mob-ridden Las Vegas to the glamorous world of Hollywood to the darkest corners of Los Angeles. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: KINGDOM OF BONES by James Rollins
KINGDOM OF BONES by James Rollins (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Christian Baskous
A United Nations relief team in a small village in the Congo makes an alarming discovery. An unknown force is leveling the evolutionary playing field. Men, women and children have been reduced to a dull, catatonic state. The environment surrounding them has grown more cunning and predatory, evolving at an exponential pace. The insidious phenomenon is spreading from a cursed site in the jungle --- known to locals as the Kingdom of Bones --- and sweeping across Africa, threatening the rest of the world. What has made the biosphere run amok? Is it a natural event? Or, more terrifyingly, did someone engineer it? As Commander Gray Pierce and Sigma Force race to find answers, they quickly realize that they have become the prey. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus
April’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus (Historical Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Miranda Raison and Pandora Sykes
Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. It’s the early 1960s, and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans, the lonely, brilliant, Nobel Prize-nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with her mind. True chemistry results. But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later, Elizabeth finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show. Her unusual approach to cooking proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com’s 17th Annual
Mother’s Day Contest: Books Mom Will Love
Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. To celebrate, we're giving you the opportunity to win books for yourself or the special lady in your life in our 17th annual "Books Mom Will Love" contest. From now through Friday, May 6th at noon ET, readers can enter to win one of our five prize packages, which includes eight great fiction and nonfiction titles that we think moms will love.
This year's prize books are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Featured Review: DEATH OF THE BLACK WIDOW
by James Patterson and J. D. Barker
DEATH OF THE BLACK WIDOW by James Patterson and J. D. Barker (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Ryan Vincent Anderson
On his first night with the Detroit PD, Officer Walter O’Brien is called to a murder scene. A terrified 20-year-old has bludgeoned her kidnapper with skill that shocks even O’Brien’s veteran partner. The young woman is also a brilliant escape artist. Her bold flight from police custody makes the case impossible to solve --- and, for Walter, even more impossible to forget. By the time Walter is promoted to detective, his fascination with the missing, gray-eyed woman is approaching obsession. And when Walter discovers that he’s not alone in his search, one truth is certain. This deadly string of secrets didn’t begin in his home city --- but he’s going to make sure it ends there. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: LEFT ON TENTH by Delia Ephron
LEFT ON TENTH: A Second Chance at Life: A Memoir by Delia Ephron (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Delia Ephron
Delia Ephron had struggled through several years of heartbreak. She’d lost her sister, Nora, and then her husband, Jerry, both to cancer. Several months after Jerry’s death, she shut down his landline, which crashed her internet. She channeled her grief by writing a New York Times op-ed. The piece caught the attention of Peter, a Bay Area psychiatrist, who emailed her to commiserate. Recently widowed himself, he reminded her that they had shared a few dates 54 years before, set up by Nora. Delia did not remember him, but after several weeks of exchanging emails and ’60s folk songs, he flew east to see her. They were crazy, utterly, in love. But four months later, she was diagnosed with AML, a fierce leukemia. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: DIAMONDS AND DEADLINES
by Betsy Prioleau
DIAMONDS AND DEADLINES: A Tale of Greed, Deceit, and a Female Tycoon in the Gilded Age by Betsy Prioleau (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Beth Hicks
For 20 years Miriam Leslie ran the country’s largest publishing company, Frank Leslie Publishing, which chronicled postbellum America in dozens of weeklies and monthlies. A pioneer in an all-male industry, she made a fortune and became a national celebrity and tastemaker in the process. But she also flouted feminine convention, took lovers, married four times, and harbored unsavory secrets that she concealed through a skein of lies and multiple personas. DIAMONDS AND DEADLINES reveals the unknown, sensational life of the brilliant and brazen “empress of journalism,” who dropped a bombshell at her death: She left her entire multimillion-dollar estate to women’s suffrage --- a never-equaled amount that guaranteed passage of the Nineteenth Amendment. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to visit Betsy Prioleau's website.
Click here to read our review.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
The following contests are now running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Win Up to 12 Copies of THE PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller for Your Group
Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month" contest, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win up to 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group.
Our latest prize book is THE PAPER PALACE by Miranda Cowley Heller, an instant #1 New York Times bestseller and a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that is now available in paperback. In the course of a singular day on Cape Cod, one woman must make a life-changing decision that has been brewing for decades. Enter here by Wednesday, May 11th at noon ET.
Special Contest: Win One of 25 Copies of FENCING WITH THE KING by Diana Abu-Jaber
With sharp insight into modern politics and family dynamics, taboos around mental illness, and our inescapable relationship to the past, FENCING WITH THE KING asks how we contend with inheritance: familial and cultural, hidden and openly contested. We are giving 25 readers the opportunity to win a copy of Diana Abu-Jaber's latest novel, which is now available. Enter here by Wednesday, May 11th at noon ET.
Enter for Your Chance to Win a Virtual Book Club Visit from Diana Abu-Jaber
W. W. Norton & Company, the publisher of FENCING WITH THE KING, has announced that Diana Abu-Jaber plans to make 60 virtual appearances at book clubs in which the book is being discussed. Click here for all the details of this exciting opportunity.
Here are our latest featured guides:
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now (or soon will be) available in paperback:
Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.
PART OF YOUR WORLD by Abby Jimenez (Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan and Zachary Webber
After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s 10 years younger than her and as casual as they come --- and their chemistry is undeniable. While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
TAKE MY HAND by Dolen Perkins-Valdez (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Lauren J. Daggett
Montgomery, Alabama, 1973. Fresh out of nursing school, Civil Townsend intends to make a difference, especially in her African American community. At the Montgomery Family Planning Clinic, she hopes to help women shape their destinies, to make their own choices for their lives and bodies. But when her first week on the job takes her along a dusty country road to a worn-down one-room cabin, she is shocked to learn that her new patients, Erica and India, are just 11 and 13 years old. As Civil grapples with her role, she takes India, Erica and their family into her heart. Until one day she arrives at their door to learn the unthinkable has happened, and nothing will ever be the same for any of them. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
BLOOD SUGAR by Sascha Rothchild (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Allyson Ryan
Though she may be a murderer, Ruby is not a sociopath. She is an animal-loving therapist with a thriving practice. She has had long-lasting friendships and relationships, and a husband, Jason, she adores. But the homicide detectives at Miami Beach PD are not convinced of her happy marriage. When we meet Ruby, she is in a police interrogation room being accused of Jason’s murder. Which, ironically, is one murder that she did not commit. As she undergoes questioning, Ruby’s mind races back to all the details of her life that led her to this exact moment, and to the three dead bodies in her wake. Because though she may not have killed her husband, Ruby certainly isn’t innocent. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
FOOL ME ONCE by Ashley Winstead (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Ann Marie Gideon
Lee Stone kicks butt at her job as a communications director at a women-run electric car company. After work she is “Stoner,” drinking guys under the table and never letting any of them get too comfortable in her bed. That’s because Lee has learned never to trust love. Four major heartbreaks set her straight, from her father cheating on her mom all the way to Ben Laderman in grad school --- who wasn’t actually cheating, but she could have sworn he was, so she reciprocated in kind. Then Ben shows up five years later, working as a policy expert for the most liberal governor in Texas history, just as Lee is trying to get a clean energy bill rolling. Things get complicated --- and competitive --- as Lee and Ben are forced to work together. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
ONCE A THIEF: A Simon Riske Novel by Christopher Reich (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Paul Michael
Simon Riske is toasting the record hundred-million-dollar sale of a rare 1963 Ferrari that he restored himself. The buyer is a sophisticated French woman named Sylvie Bettencourt. Riske enjoys her company until her bodyguard storms in, claiming the vehicle is a fake. Riske must prove the car is the real thing…or else. Meanwhile, Carl Bildt, banker to the rich and nefarious, is killed by a powerful car bomb, moments before he can deliver evidence to the authorities. His daughter, Anna, rushes to Switzerland to investigate her father’s violent death. As Riske strives to prove the Ferrari’s authenticity and look deeper into Sylvie’s past, he crosses paths with Anna and discovers they have an enemy in common. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
THE NEW NEIGHBOR by Carter Wilson (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Gary Bennett
Aidan Marlowe has been playing the same lottery numbers for 15 years, never hitting the jackpot. Until now. On the day of his wife's funeral. Aidan struggles to cope with these two sudden extremes. But the money gives him and his kids options they didn't have before. They can leave everything behind and start a new life in a new town. So they do. But a huge new house and all the money in the world can't replace what they've lost, and it's not long before Aidan realizes he's merely trading old demons for new ones. Because someone is watching him and his family very closely. Someone who knows exactly who they are, where they've come from and what they're trying to hide. Someone who will stop at nothing to get what they want. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
THE PATRON SAINT OF SECOND CHANCES by Christine Simon (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Tim Frances
Vacuum repairman and self-appointed mayor of Prometto, Italy, Signor Speranza has a problem. Unless he can come up with 70,000 euros to fix the town’s pipes, the water commission will shut off the water to the village and all its residents will be forced to disperse. So in a bid to boost tourism --- and revenue --- he spreads a harmless rumor that movie star Dante Rinaldi will be filming his next project nearby. Unfortunately, the plan works a little too well, and soon everyone in town wants to be a part of the fictional film. To his surprise, Speranza realizes that the only way to keep up the ruse is to make the movie for real. But what happens when Dante Rinaldi doesn’t show up? Or worse, what if he does? Reviewed by Roz Shea.
THE WHISPERS by Heidi Perks (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Karen Cass, Nneka Okoye and Helen Keeley
Anna loves Girls’ Night with her friends. With the kids safely in bed, it’s a chance for the women to let loose, enjoy some wine and just laugh. But after one lively evening, Anna doesn’t arrive for school drop-off the next morning --- or the next, or the next. Everyone, especially her husband and young son, is frantic with worry, but none more so than Grace, her childhood best friend. Grace is certain that someone is hiding the truth about Anna’s unexplained disappearance. As rumors fly and accusations are whispered among neighbors, Grace decides to take matters into her own hands and find out what happened to Anna…or die trying. Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
L.A. BURNING by D. C. Taylor (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Amara Jasper
When Cody Bonner is released from prison after six years, she returns to L.A. with a purpose: to learn the truth about her twin sister Julie, who washed up on a Malibu beach a year earlier. Her search leads her to the darker alleys behind the dazzle of the film business, and into the world of high-powered agents, high-priced call girls, and men with a taste for sexual violence. As she homes in on her mother’s powerful agent, Harry Groban, a man with ugly accusations of abuse in his past, Cody becomes more deeply enmeshed in the life she left behind as a teenager: her mother’s star power, her former classmates-turned-producers, glitzy parties, and a handsome former love who knows all the players. Is Groban at the center? Could there be others who had a hand in Julie’s murder? Reviewed by Jesse Kornbluth for HeadButler.com.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on April 26th
Below are some notable titles releasing on April 26th 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 April 25th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL by Jennifer McMahon (Supernatural Thriller)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE DROWNING KIND comes a genre-defying new novel, inspired by Mary Shelley’s masterpiece FRANKENSTEIN, that brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.
CITY ON FIRE by Don Winslow (Thriller)
From the #1 internationally bestselling author of the Cartel trilogy (THE POWER OF THE DOG, THE CARTEL and THE BORDER), THE FORCE and BROKEN comes the first novel in an epic new trilogy.
THE FERVOR by Alma Katsu (Supernatural/Historical Thriller)
The acclaimed author of the celebrated literary horror novels THE HUNGER and THE DEEP turns her psychological and supernatural eye on the horrors of the Japanese American internment camps in World War II.
FINDING ME: A Memoir by Viola Davis (Memoir)
“FINDING ME is a deep reflection on my past and a promise for my future. My hope is that my story will inspire you to light up your own life with creative expression and rediscover who you were before the world put a label on you.”
THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE by Adriana Trigiani (Fiction)
From “a master of visual and palpable detail” (The Washington Post) comes a lush, immersive novel about three generations of Tuscan artisans with one remarkable secret. Epic in scope and resplendent with the glorious themes of identity and belonging, THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE unfolds in breathtaking turns.
AN HONEST LIE by Tarryn Fisher (Psychological Thriller)
This seething, gut-punch of a thriller can only have sprung from the fiendish brain of Tarryn Fisher, one of the most cunning writers of our time.
LITTLE SOULS by Sandra Dallas (Historical Fiction)
Sandra Dallas' LITTLE SOULS is a gripping tale of sisterhood, loyalty and secrets set in Denver amid America’s last deadly flu pandemic.
THE PALACE PAPERS: Inside the House of Windsor — the Truth and the Turmoil by Tina Brown (Biography)
Picking up where Tina Brown’s masterful THE DIANA CHRONICLES left off, THE PALACE PAPERS reveals how the royal family reinvented itself after the traumatic years when Diana’s blazing celebrity ripped through the House of Windsor like a comet.
THE PUZZLER: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life written by A.J. Jacobs, with original puzzles by Greg Pliska (Memoir)
The New York Times bestselling author of THE YEAR OF LIVING BIBLICALLY goes on a rollicking journey to understand the enduring power of puzzles: why we love them, what they do to our brains and how they can improve our world.
TIGER & PHIL: Golf's Most Fascinating Rivalry by Bob Harig (Sports)
Bob Harig's TIGER & PHIL provides an in-depth chronicle of the decades-long rivalry that drove the success of golf's two biggest stars, Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson.
UNMASKED: My Life Solving America's Cold Cases by Paul Holes (True Crime/Memoir)
From the detective who found the Golden State Killer comes a memoir of investigating America’s toughest cold cases, and the rewards --- and toll --- of a life solving crime.
WHERE THE CHILDREN TAKE US: How One Family Achieved the Unimaginable by Zain E. Asher (Memoir)
In this spellbinding memoir, popular CNN anchor Zain E. Asher pays tribute to her mother’s strength and determination to raise four successful children in the shadow of tragedy.
THE WRONG VICTIM by Allison Brennan (Mystery/Thriller)
A bomb explodes on a sunset charter cruise out of Friday Harbor at the height of tourist season and kills everyone on board. Now this fishing and boating community is in shock and asking who would commit such a heinous crime --- the largest act of mass murder in the history of the San Juan Islands.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Alma Katsu, Adriana Trigiani, Zain E. Asher
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.
Tuesday, April 26th at 7pm ET: Tattered Cover Book Store: Tattered Cover is pleased to virtually host Allison Brennan as she celebrates the release of THE WRONG VICTIM. Joining her will be Samantha Downing, who is releasing the paperback version of FOR YOUR OWN GOOD.
Tuesday, April 26th at 7pm ET: William Morrow: Join James Rollins, author of KINGDOM OF BONES, and Jackie K. Cooper, author and film critic, for a night of discussion to celebrate public libraries.
Tuesday, April 26th at 8pm ET: Politics and Prose: Join P&P Live! with Zain E. Asher as she discusses her new book, WHERE THE CHILDREN TAKE US, with fellow CNN anchor Alysin Camerota.
Tuesday, April 26th at 9pm ET: Vroman's Bookstore: David Baldacci will be in conversation with fellow bestselling author Robert Crais about his latest Archer thriller, DREAM TOWN.
Wednesday, April 27th 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 Jane Green about her new novel, SISTER STARDUST. Kimberly Brock, author of THE LOST BOOK OF ELEANOR DARE, will be featured on the Aftershow.
Wednesday, April 27th at 7pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Deborah Goodrich Royce as she discusses her book, RUBY FALLS (now available in paperback), with Kimberly Belle.
Wednesday, April 27th at 9pm ET: Chaucer's Books: Chaucer's Books is so pleased to virtually host award-winning author Alma Katsu to talk about her new horror novel, THE FERVOR.
Thursday, April 28th at 7:30pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome acclaimed author Adriana Trigiani for a live virtual discussion of her new book, THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE, with bestselling author Mitch Albom.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)
Here is our latest interview:
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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David R. Gillham (SHADOWS OF BERLIN)
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Kim Michele Richardson (THE BOOK WOMAN'S DAUGHTER)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: Your Book-Buying Habits
Approximately what percentage of the books that you read do you buy?
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25%
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50%
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75%
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100%
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I only borrow books from the library.
Which of the following are places where you buy books? Please check all that apply.
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Amazon
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Barnes & Noble
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Books-A-Million
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Costco
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Local indie booksellers
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Target
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Used bookstores
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Libro.fm
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Apple Books
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Google Play
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Bookshop
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Audible
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I only borrow books from the library.
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Other (Please specify)
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, April 29th 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 April 15th to April 29th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of CITY ON FIRE by Don Winslow and THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE by Adriana Trigiani.
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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