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Rush Hour, I Did Not Miss You!
Yesterday I drove to Watchung Booksellers to see Theresa Brown talk about her book, HEALING: When a Nurse Becomes a Patient. It was my first in-store book event since February 2020. HEALING looks at Theresa’s life both as a nurse and as a breast cancer patient. She alternates talking about her own experience as a patient with chapters about her caregiving, and she shares brilliant insight into both sides of the world of medicine. She was interviewed brilliantly by N. West Moss, the author of FLESH & BLOOD: Reflections on Infertility, Family, and Creating a Bountiful Life. You can see me with Theresa above. It’s nice to see live book events coming back. I love this bookstore, which is near my hometown, and I was so happy to get to say hi to one of the store’s owners, Margot Sage-EL, who has co-owned the store for as long as Bookreporter has been around.
I also got a reminder about rush hour traffic yesterday. One of the joys of working from home is that on most nights we can have dinner and get the kitchen cleaned up by 7:15. When we commuted, we rarely got home before 7:30 or 7:45. Last night, as I left the house a bit after 6:00 for a 7:00 event, I hit traffic for the first time in very long while. Back was the reminder on my Waze GPS that I was going to be in traffic for 22 minutes. And that red line did not waver. Yes, I cranked up the radio and sang off-key to favorite songs to try to offset the frustration of being trapped in traffic, and I realized how much I did not miss this. At the event, Amanda Dissinger, Theresa's publicist, told of her travails trying to get to the event from the city where the trains were suspended due to a fire. The more things change, the more they stay the same! Now, during the day, I am very happy to travel via Zoom.
I have been reading MUSTIQUE ISLAND by Sarah McCoy, and I am loving it. She has me transported to this island that, aside from its sandy shores and blue water, has a storied history of being the playground for Princess Margaret and Mick Jagger. As a friend who has vacationed there at Christmas for more than two decades has told me, what happens on Mustique stays on the island. Over the holidays you will not hear what celebrities there are doing; it’s known to be a place where respect is given to those vacationing. So this trip there with Sarah’s characters is just brilliant fun.
Willy May Michael sails into the harbor at Mustique and sets her sights on building a home there. The fun just builds from there as we are treated to the place as voyeurs. l am just up to the point where Willy May’s daughter has sailed onto the island to share this very special place with her. As I found with Jane Green's SISTER STARDUST, it is period-perfect and harks back to a different time. It will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. And I cannot wait to talk to Sarah about it next week.
I am delighted to share with you my interview with Chris Whitaker that I did a couple of weeks ago to celebrate the release of the paperback edition of his New York Times bestselling novel, WE BEGIN AT THE END, which has a new cover. I was so happy that Chris asked me to chat with him again. We shared his path to writing this book, which is one wild ride, and covered a lot of new ground. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. Many thanks to Meg Collins at Macmillan for sharing this footage with us as it was part of their Book + Author virtual book club series.
CITY ON FIRE is the start of a new trilogy from Don Winslow, who many of you know as the author of the Cartel trilogy (THE POWER OF THE DOG, THE CARTEL and THE BORDER). Two criminal empires control all of New England. Until a beautiful woman comes between the Irish and the Italians, launching a war that will see them kill each other, destroy an alliance and set a city on fire.
Our reviewer Ray Palen calls the book “a real barn burner that sees Danny Ryan looking into the sun, imagining what the future will bring for him. I am right there next to him, eagerly awaiting the trials and tribulations that he will be forced to undergo in the middle part of this impressive saga.”
We learned this week that Don Winslow will be retiring from writing to focus on his other passion: politics. He already has written the last two books in his trilogy, so fans can look forward to those releases in the future. Bookstores in San Diego partnered this week to host Winslow for the book's launch at the San Diego Central Library on what will be his final book tour. It also was announced this week that Netflix is adapting two of his novels, THE DAWN PATROL and THE GENTLEMEN’S HOUR, for features.
Tina Brown has picked up where her 2007 bestseller, THE DIANA CHRONICLES, left off with the publication of her highly anticipated new book, THE PALACE PAPERS. This time, she reveals how the royal family reinvented itself after the traumatic years when Princess Diana’s blazing celebrity ripped through the House of Windsor like a comet.
Jesse Kornbluth, who founded Bookreporter with me, was kind enough to share with us his review that he wrote for his site, HeadButler.com. He calls the book “a brilliant anthropological saga --- the story of a tribe (the royal family) with a single goal (survival) and a willingness to eat any creature that threatens it (including its young).” Tina is first and foremost a journalist, and what readers get here is the result of hours of digging for the story instead of just following the usual trails. And that research is paired with great storytelling. I am reminded again why Vanity Fair was so sharp when she was at the helm.
Also in stores this week is Adriana Trigiani’s new novel, THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE. Here’s the premise: Matelda, the Cabrelli family’s matriarch, has always been brusque and opinionated. Now, as she faces the end of her life, she is determined to leave no stone unturned, including her own mother’s revelation about her two great loves: her childhood friend, Silvio, and proud Scottish sea captain John Lawrie McVicars, the father Matelda never knew.
According to our reviewer Amy Gwiazdowski, “There are many reasons to love this novel --- the incredible characters, the rich family history woven throughout, the beautiful setting --- but first among them is the story that Trigiani tells…. It’s a wonderful book that may just resurrect that travel bug, and perhaps some family stories as well.”
Last year, I interviewed Adriana at an industry event and learned that she found nuggets of this story one day in Scotland. There she was drawn to attend a church while a wedding was going on; by her own admission, she is a wedding crasher. Afterwards a priest from the parish asked her who she was, and upon hearing she was a writer, he told her to go see the garden. There she found a walled garden that memorialized the Italian Scots who died on a troop ship. Churchill had found these men to be enemies and deported them. Their ship was sunk as they were being transported to Canada. Intrigued, she headed down a rabbit hole to learn more about this time in history, which she then wove a story around.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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THE PUZZLER: A.J. Jacobs, whose books are always a hearty blend of memoir, science and humor (with a dash of self-help), 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. I love the way A.J. continues to take us into the heart of things that we usually just think of as being fun and gives us a deep dive into them. Where is my Rubik’s Cube?
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AN HONEST LIE by Tarryn Fisher: When Rainy reluctantly agrees to a girls’ weekend in Vegas, she’s prepared for an exhausting parade of shots and slot machines. But after a wild night, her friend Braithe doesn’t come back to the hotel room. Then she receives a text message, sent from Braithe’s phone: someone has her. I have this one on my shelf calling to me.
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THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL: Inspired by Mary Shelley’s FRANKENSTEIN, Jennifer McMahon’s genre-defying new novel explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.
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THE FERVOR by Alma Katsu: 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.
Announcing This Year’s Summer Reading Feature
Our Summer Reading contests are back for an 18th(!) year, and will kick off next Wednesday, May 4th at noon ET. On select days through August, we will host a series of 24-hour contests and on each of the contest days award five readers a book that we think is a great summer read. You will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also will send a special newsletter to announce the day's title, along with a Summer Reading Preview newsletter on Monday. Click here to sign up for these dedicated newsletters. Our first two prize books will be THE BOOK WOMAN’S DAUGHTER by Kim Michele Richardson and A FAMILY AFFAIR by Robyn Carr.
Our Mother's Day Author Blog Series is Back!
Also returning this year is our Mother’s Day Author Blog series. For the 13th year in a row, we’re sharing pieces from authors who reminisce about reading books with their moms, or with their own children, and talk about how their moms influenced them to become readers and writers. So far we have heard from Kimberly Belle, who I had the pleasure of interviewing recently about her new psychological thriller, MY DARLING HUSBAND. Next week, there will be contributions from Zain E. Asher, Kimberly Brock, the aforementioned Sarah McCoy, Chloé Cooper Jones and Deborah Goodrich Royce. Thank you to each of these authors who have shared their personal stories. Trust me, you will want to grab some time to read what they are sharing.
Your Last Newsletter Reminder About Our Mother's Day Contest
Zain E. Asher’s WHERE THE CHILDREN TAKE US, Kimberly Brock’s THE LOST BOOK OF ELEANOR DARE and Deborah Goodrich Royce’s RUBY FALLS are among the books we’re giving away in this year’s Mother’s Day contest, along with five other fabulous titles: ATOMIC ANNA by Rachel Barenbaum, BRIGHTER BY THE DAY by Robin Roberts with Michelle Burford, THE CHANGE by Kirsten Miller, THE LOST APOTHECARY by Sarah Penner, and THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME by Julia Quinn. Click here to enter the giveaway, which will be open until next Friday, May 6th at noon ET.
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Let us know by Friday, May 13th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews and THE LIONESS by Chris Bohjalian, both of which we will be reviewing over the next couple of weeks.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
For our latest poll, we’ve listed 30 fiction titles releasing in May, and we’re asking you which, if any, you’re planning to read. Click here to let us know.
In our previous poll, we were curious about your book-buying habits. Approximately what percentage of the books that you read do you buy? 32% of you purchase a quarter of the books that you read, while 21% buy three-quarters of their books and 18% only borrow books from the library. We also asked where you buy your books. Here are your top preferences: Amazon (70%), Barnes & Noble (41%), Used bookstores (39%), and local indie booksellers (29%). Click here for all the results.
Speaking of local indie booksellers, tomorrow --- Saturday, April 30th --- is Independent Bookstore Day, a one-day national party that takes place at indie bookstores across the country. According to their website, “Every store is unique and independent, and every party is different. But in addition to authors, live music, cupcakes, scavenger hunts, kids events, art tables, readings, barbecues, contests, and other fun stuff, there are exclusive books and literary items that you can only get on that day. Not before. Not after. Nowhere else.”
YA author Angie Thomas, this year’s Independent Bookstore Day Ambassador, says, “Indie bookstores are the heart of our industry, and we must continue to support them in the same way that they support and champion books.” I couldn’t have said it better myself! Click here to read more about this very special day and all the different ways you can celebrate it.
The 42nd annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were awarded last Friday night at the University of Southern California’s Bovard Auditorium. The winners include BROOD by Jackie Polzin (Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction), BURNING BOY: The Life and Work of Stephen Crane by Paul Auster (Biography), REAL ESTATE: A Living Autobiography, by Deborah Levy (Christopher Isherwood Prize for Autobiographical Prose), and THE TURNOUT by Megan Abbott (Mystery/Thriller). I was delighted to interview Megan about her book last year. Click here for all the winners.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
We received two lovely notes about our Spring Preview feature when we sent a wrap-up newsletter. Harriet wrote, “Thank you for bringing us all these wonderful books and contests.” JR wrote, “Thanks for sharing! Congrats to the winners!”
Mindy wrote, “Thank you, Carol, for all your hard work with your interactions between authors and readers highlighting so many amazing books! I hope to meet you at some point here in New York!” Mindy, I would love to meet you, too. And all that we do here is a group effort. Tom and Austin also deserve the praise!
Lucy wrote about winning AND THERE HE KEPT HER by Joshua Moehling: “Wow!!!! Thank you so much. I’m so excited. I just love your newsletters and podcasts and 'Bookaccino Live'! Thank you for all you do for book lovers!”
Liz wrote in response to my musing about spring planting: “A few years ago, I purchased heritage seeds from an outdoor fair in Williamsburg on the way to OBX. The resulting garden patch was exotic and colorful; I kept seeds to reseed the same patch the following year. My mom and sister made a trip to France after that and returned with seed packets from Monet's garden, which I added to the same area. Last year, hollyhocks appeared. What a beautiful surprise they were! Being biennial, they must have served solely as a foliage backdrop the previous summer. Now they were tall and vibrant. I added new seeds to the areas that did not propagate and look forward to more surprises this summer.” Liz is inspiring me!
“Grace and Frankie” on Netflix: The last season drops today. Be prepared for some final laughs!
“Ozark” on Netflix: The final season released today. What insane things will happen in these episodes? Let's count the bodies.
“WeCrashed” on Apple TV+: That ending did not disappoint! Masa got the final word...and, oh, that was special. The entire finale was laced with one moment better than the previous one.
“This Is Us” on NBC: I loved seeing what really happened with Kevin the night before the wedding. Did he look like he was trying to make sense of it, or what? Four more episodes of brilliant storytelling are left.
Books as Wedding Favors: I so love this idea --- a book at every seat at a wedding, matching the right book for the right person. I would have a lot of fun with this concept. The New York Times has a piece about it here.
Tomorrow at 12:15pm ET, I will be interviewing Jean Hanff Korelitz about her upcoming novel, THE LATECOMER, which releases on May 31st. This is the story about the Oppenheimer family of triplets who were conceived in the early days of IVF. These siblings are not close; in fact, two who attend Cornell ignore each other. Just as they set off for college, their mother decides to become pregnant with the last harvested egg, which becomes the daughter and sister named Phoebe. Besides being a big family story, there is also a question: Are all four really the same age as all four eggs were harvested at the same time? And that is not all there is to ponder. I am looking forward to this conversation. Click here to sign up for the event.
Tomorrow is also Local Yarn Store Day. I should be hosting this at my house since I feel like my stash would make a nice small store.
I will be visiting my dear friend, Donna Truglio, in Hoboken tomorrow. We worked together for years at Conde Nast. I am looking forward to a trip down memory lane and a ton of laughing, which we always do when we are together!
The rest of the weekend has some tentative plans but nothing cast in stone. I am anticipating some nice reading time outside as the weather looks conducive to this! The temps this week have bounced from winter to spring and back again. Frost warnings, then 70 degrees! It’s spring in the New York metro area. I am ready to dive back into Mustique!
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: CITY ON FIRE by Don Winslow
CITY ON FIRE by Don Winslow (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Ari Fliakos
Two criminal empires together control all of New England. Until a beautiful modern-day Helen of Troy comes between the Irish and the Italians, launching a war that will see them kill each other, destroy an alliance and set a city on fire. Danny Ryan yearns for a more “legit” life and a place in the sun. But as the bloody conflict stacks body on body and brother turns against brother, Danny has to rise above himself. To save his family and friends, he becomes a leader, a ruthless strategist, and a master of a treacherous game in which the winners live and the losers die. From the gritty streets of Providence to the glittering screens of Hollywood to the golden casinos of Las Vegas, Danny Ryan will forge a dynasty. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE PALACE PAPERS by Tina Brown
THE PALACE PAPERS: Inside the House of Windsor — the Truth and the Turmoil by Tina Brown (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Tina Brown
“Never again” became Queen Elizabeth II’s mantra shortly after Princess Diana’s tragic death. More specifically, there could never be “another Diana” --- a member of the family whose global popularity upstaged, outshone and posed an existential threat to the British monarchy. Picking up where Tina Brown’s 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. Brown takes readers on a tour de force journey through the scandals, love affairs, power plays and betrayals that have buffeted the monarchy over the last 25 years. Reviewed by Jesse Kornbluth for HeadButler.com.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read the review.
Featured Review: THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE
by Adriana Trigiani
THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE by Adriana Trigiani (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Carlotta Brentan, Lisa Flanagan, Edoardo Ballerini and Deepti Gupta
In the halcyon days of the past, Domenica Cabrelli thrives in the coastal town of Viareggio until the day her beloved home becomes unsafe as Italy teeters on the brink of World War II. As her journey takes her from the rocky shores of Marseille to the mystical beauty of Scotland to the dangers of wartime Liverpool --- where Italian Scots were imprisoned without cause --- Domenica experiences love, loss and grief as she longs for home. A hundred years later, her daughter, Matelda, and her great-granddaughter, Anina, face the same big questions about life and their family’s legacy as Matelda contemplates what is worth fighting for, and when to let go. The Cabrellis have survived so much, and it is only through the transformative power of love that they can hope to truly heal. Reviewed by Amy Gwiazdowski.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read our review.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's 18th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through the end of August, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our first prize book will be announced on Wednesday, May 4th at noon ET.
This year’s prize books include:
Click here to read all the contest details and learn more about our prize books.
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.
Bookreporter.com’s 13th Annual
Mother’s Day Author Blogs
Our Mother's Day Author Blogs are back for a 13th year! Once again, we are excited to be sharing pieces from authors who reminisce about reading books with their moms, or with their own children, and talk about how their moms influenced them to become readers and writers.
We kick off this year's series with a lovely contribution from Kimberly Belle, whose new psychological thriller, MY DARLING HUSBAND, is now in stores.
Next week, we will hear from Zain E. Asher (WHERE THE CHILDREN TAKE US), Kimberly Brock (THE LOST BOOK OF ELEANOR DARE), Chloé Cooper Jones (EASY BEAUTY), Sarah McCoy (MUSTIQUE ISLAND), and Deborah Goodrich Royce (RUBY FALLS).
Click here to read Bookreporter.com's 2022 Mother's Day Author Blogs.
Featured Review: THE PUZZLER by A.J. Jacobs,
with original puzzles by Greg Pliska
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)
Audiobook available, read by A.J. Jacobs
What makes puzzles --- jigsaws, mazes, riddles, sudokus --- so satisfying? A.J. Jacobs --- New York Times bestselling author, master of immersion journalism and nightly crossworder ---- set out to determine their myriad benefits. And maybe, in the process, solve the puzzle of our very existence. Well, almost. In THE PUZZLER, Jacobs meets the most zealous devotees, enters (sometimes with his family in tow) any puzzle competition that will have him, unpacks the history of the most popular puzzles, and aims to solve the most impossible head-scratchers, from a mutant Rubik’s Cube, to the hardest corn maze in America, to the most sadistic jigsaw. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan (www.RonKaplansBaseballBookshelf.com).
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: AN HONEST LIE by Tarryn Fisher
AN HONEST LIE by Tarryn Fisher (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Lauren Fortgang
Lorraine --- “Rainy” --- lives at the top of Tiger Mountain. Remote, moody, cloistered in pine trees and fog, it’s a sanctuary, a new life. She can hide from the disturbing past she wants to forget. If she’s allowed to. When Rainy reluctantly agrees to a girls’ weekend in Vegas, she’s prepared for an exhausting parade of shots and slot machines. But after a wild night, her friend Braithe doesn’t come back to the hotel room. And then Rainy gets the text message, sent from Braithe’s phone: someone has her. But Rainy is who they really want, and Rainy knows why. What follows is a twisted, shocking journey on the knife-edge of life and death. If she wants to save Braithe --- and herself --- the only way is to step back into the past. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL by Jennifer McMahon (Supernatural Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Erin Moon
1978: At her renowned treatment center in Vermont, psychiatrist Helen Hildreth is acclaimed for her compassionate work with the mentally ill. But when she’s home with her grandchildren, Vi and Eric, she’s just Gran. Then one day, Gran brings home a child to stay with the family. Although Iris does not behave like a normal girl, Vi and Eric invite her to join their Monster Club, where they catalogue all kinds of monsters and dream up ways to defeat them. 2019: Lizzy Shelley, the host of the popular podcast “Monsters Among Us,” is traveling to Vermont, where a young girl has been abducted, and a monster sighting has the town in an uproar. Lizzy knows better than anyone that monsters are real --- and one of them is her very own sister. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE FERVOR by Alma Katsu (Supernatural/Historical Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Traci Kato-Kiriyama and Louis Ozawa
As World War II rages on, the threat has come to the home front. In a remote corner of Idaho, Meiko Briggs and her daughter, Aiko, are desperate to return home. Following Meiko's husband's enlistment as an air force pilot in the Pacific, Meiko and Aiko were taken from their home in Seattle and sent to one of the internment camps in the Midwest. Mother and daughter attempt to hold on to elements of their old life in the camp when a mysterious disease begins to spread among those interned. When a disconcerting team of doctors arrive, Meiko and Aiko team up with a newspaper reporter and widowed missionary to investigate. It becomes clear to them that something more sinister is afoot. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
TIGER & PHIL: Golf's Most Fascinating Rivalry by Bob Harig (Sports)
Audiobook available, read by Adam Barr
For more than two decades, there have been two golfers who have captivated, bemused, inspired, frustrated, fascinated and entertained us, and in doing so have demanded our attention --- Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Even with all the ink that has been spilled on Tiger, no one has ever written about his relationship with Phil and how their careers have been inextricably intertwined. Furthermore, very little has been written about Phil Mickelson, who is more than just an adversary. He is a fascinating Hall of Fame golfer in his own right. These two biggest names (and draws) in golf have, for better and for worse, been the ultimate rivals. But it is so much more complicated than that. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
I'LL BE YOU by Janelle Brown (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan and Kate Rudd
As children, Sam and Elli were gorgeous identical twins. Once Hollywood discovered them, they became B-list child TV stars, often inhabiting the same role. But as adults, their lives have splintered. After leaving acting, Elli reinvented herself as the perfect homemaker. Meanwhile, Sam has never recovered from her failed Hollywood career, or from her addiction to pills and booze. Sam hasn't spoken to her sister since her destructive behavior finally drove a wedge between them. So when her father calls out of the blue, Sam is shocked to learn that Elli’s life has been in turmoil. Now she’s stopped answering her phone and checked in to a mysterious spa in Ojai. Is Elli just decompressing, or is she in trouble? Could she have possibly joined a cult? Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
TASHA: A Son's Memoir by Brian Morton (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Sean Patrick Hopkins
Tasha Morton is a force of nature: a brilliant educator who’s left her mark on generations of students --- and also a whirlwind of a mother, intrusive, chaotic, oppressively devoted and irrepressible. For decades, her son Brian has kept her at a self-protective distance, but when her health begins to fail, he knows it’s time to assume responsibility for her care. Even so, he’s not prepared for what awaits him, as her refusal to accept her own fragility leads to a series of epic outbursts and altercations that are sometimes frightening, sometimes wildly comic, and sometimes both. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
MARRYING THE KETCHUPS by Jennifer Close (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Cassandra Campbell
Here are the three things the Sullivan family knows to be true: the Chicago Cubs will always be the underdogs; historical progress is inevitable; and their grandfather, Bud, founder of JP Sullivan’s, will always make the best burgers in Oak Park. But when, over the course of three strange months, the Cubs win the World Series, Trump is elected president and Bud drops dead, suddenly everyone in the family finds themselves doubting all they hold dear. How can any of them be expected to make the right decisions when the world feels sideways --- and the bartender at JP Sullivan’s makes such strong cocktails? Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.
THE WRONG VICTIM by Allison Brennan (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Suzanne T. Fortin
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. Was the explosion an act of domestic terrorism, or was one of the dead the primary target? That is the first question Special Agent Matt Costa, Detective Kara Quinn and the rest of the FBI team need to answer, but they have few clues and no witnesses. Accused of putting profits before people after leaking fuel endangered an environmentally sensitive preserve, the West End Charter company may itself have been the target. As Matt and his team get closer to answers, they find one of their own caught in the crosshairs of a determined killer. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
LET'S NOT DO THAT AGAIN by Grant Ginder (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Susannah Jones
Nancy Harrison is running for Senate, and she’s determined to win. There’s just one problem: her grown children. Greta and Nick Harrison are adrift. Nick is floundering in his attempts to write a musical about the life of Joan Didion. And then there’s his little sister, Greta. Smart, pretty and completely unmotivated, allowing her life to pass her by like the shoppers at the Apple store where she works. One morning the world wakes up not to Nancy making headlines, but to Greta. She’s in Paris. With extremist protestors. Throwing a bottle of champagne through a beloved bistro’s front window. In order to save her campaign, not to mention her daughter, Nancy and Nick must find Greta before it’s too late. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
WHEN WE FELL APART by Soon Wiley (Literary Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Daniel K. Isaac and Shannon Tyo
When the Seoul police inform Min that his girlfriend Yu-jin has committed suicide, he’s sure it can't be true. She was successful, ambitious, happy, just on the cusp of graduating from university, and claiming the future she’d always dreamed of. Min, on the other hand, born to an American father and Korean mother, has never felt quite the same certainty as Yu-jin about his life’s path. Devastated by her death, Min throws himself into finding out why she could have secretly wanted to die. Or did she? With a controlling and powerful government official father, and a fraught friendship with her alluring and destructive roommate So-ra, Yu-jin’s life was much more complex than she chose to reveal to Min. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
WINGWALKERS by Taylor Brown (Historical Fiction/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Mark Bramhall
WINGWALKERS follows the adventures of Della and Zeno Marigold, a pair of Great Depression barnstormers who are funding their journey west by performing death-defying aerial stunts from town to town, and braids them with the real-life exploits of author (and thwarted fighter pilot) William Faulkner. When their paths cross during a dramatic air show, there will be unexpected consequences for all. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
LITTLE FOXES TOOK UP MATCHES by Katya Kazbek (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jefferson Mays
When Mitya was two years old, he swallowed his grandmother’s sewing needle. For his family, it marks the beginning of the end, the promise of certain death. For Mitya, it is a small, metal treasure that guides him from within. As he grows, his life mirrors the uncertain future of his country, which is attempting to rebuild itself after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Mitya finds himself facing a different sort of ambiguity: Is he a boy, as everyone keeps telling him, or is he not quite a boy, as he often feels? After suffering horrific abuse from his cousin, Vovka, who has returned broken from war, Mitya embarks on a journey across underground Moscow to find something better, a place to belong. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
ON THE BUS WITH BILL MONROE: My Five-Year Ride with the Father of Blue Grass by Mark Hembree (Memoir)
A backstage audition led Mark Hembree into a five-year stint (1979–1984) as the bassist for Bill Monroe's Blue Grass Boys. Hembree’s journey included playing at the White House and on the acclaimed album Master of Bluegrass. But it also put him on a collision course with the rigors of touring, the mysteries of Southern culture, and the complex personality of bandleader legend Bill Monroe. Whether it’s figuring out the best time for breakfast (early) or for beating the boss at poker (never), Hembree gives readers an up-close look at the occasionally exalting, often unglamorous life of a touring musician in the sometimes baffling, always colorful company of a bluegrass icon. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on May 2nd and 3rd
Below are some notable titles releasing on May 2nd and 3rd 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 May 2nd, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
May 2nd
22 SECONDS by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Thriller)
SFPD Sergeant Lindsay Boxer has guns on her mind. There’s buzz of a last-ditch shipment of drugs and weapons crossing the Mexican border ahead of new restrictive gun laws. Before Lindsay can act, her top informant tips her to a case that hits disturbingly close to home.
May 3rd
BOOK OF NIGHT by Holly Black (Supernatural Thriller/Dark Fantasy)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black makes her stunning adult debut with BOOK OF NIGHT, a modern dark fantasy of betrayals, cabals and a dissolute thief of shadows, in the vein of Neil Gaiman and Erin Morgenstern.
THE BOOK WOMAN’S DAUGHTER by Kim Michele Richardson (Historical Fiction)
Bestselling historical fiction author Kim Michele Richardson is back with the perfect book club read following Honey Lovett, the daughter of the beloved Troublesome book woman, who must fight for her own independence with the help of the women who guide her and the books that set her free.
THE CHANGE by Kirsten Miller (Fantasy/Thriller)
"Big Little Lies" meets The Witches of Eastwick, THE CHANGE is a gloriously entertaining and knife-sharp feminist revenge fantasy about three women whose midlife crisis brings unexpected new powers --- putting them on a collision course with the evil that lurks in their wealthy beach town.
COMPANION PIECE by Ali Smith (Fiction)
Following her astonishing Seasonal Quartet, award-winning author Ali Smith again lights a way for us through the nightmarish now with a provocative novel grounded both in the contemporary era and in the uncannily familiar era of the Black Plague.
FLY GIRL: A Memoir by Ann Hood (Memoir)
Packed with funny, moving and shocking stories of life as a flight attendant, FLY GIRL captures the nostalgia and magic of air travel at its height, and the thrill that remains with every takeoff.
THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
Summer begins with Mary Kay Andrews in this delightful summer read about flipping houses and finding true love.
KILLING THE KILLERS: The Secret War Against Terrorists by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard (History)
In KILLING THE KILLERS, #1 bestselling authors Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard take readers deep inside the global war on terror, which began more than 20 years ago on September 11, 2001.
LOVE MARRIAGE by Monica Ali (Fiction)
A gloriously acute observer of class, sexual mores and the mysteries of the human heart, Monica Ali has written a captivating social comedy and a profoundly moving, revelatory story of two cultures, two families and two people trying to understand one another.
MAGIC SEASON: A Son's Story by Wade Rouse (Memoir)
Bestselling author Wade Rouse finds solace with his dying father through their shared love of baseball in this poignant, illuminating memoir of family and forgiveness.
REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt (Fiction)
For fans of A MAN CALLED OVE comes a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning and hope that traces a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus.
ROBERT B. PARKER'S REVENGE TOUR: A Sunny Randall Novel by Mike Lupica (Mystery)
Robert B. Parker’s PI Sunny Randall’s newest case hits close to home in ways she never expected in her latest thrilling investigation.
SUMMER LOVE by Nancy Thayer (Fiction)
Old secrets come to light when four friends gather on Nantucket for a life-changing reunion in this heartwarming novel of love and self-discovery by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.
TRAILED: One Woman's Quest to Solve the Shenandoah Murders by Kathryn Miles (True Crime)
TRAILED is a riveting deep dive into the unsolved murder of two free-spirited young women in the wilderness, a journalist's obsession --- and a new theory of who might have done it.
TRUST by Hernan Diaz (Historical Fiction)
At once an immersive story and a brilliant literary puzzle, TRUST engages the reader in a quest for the truth while confronting the deceptions that often live at the heart of personal relationships, the reality-warping force of capital, and the ease with which power can manipulate facts.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Jennifer McMahon, A.J. Jacobs, Ann Hood
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
As so many book and author events are happening online these days, we are highlighting a number of them that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links below for more info and to register.
Saturday, April 30th at 12:15pm ET: Newburyport Literary Festival: Jean Hanff Korelitz will talk to Carol Fitzgerald about her new novel, THE LATECOMER, her long career, and maybe even what it was like to see Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant play two of her characters in HBO’s "The Undoing."
Sunday, May 1st at 3pm ET: Madison Books: Join Books in Common NW for a laugh-out-loud look at LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY, a "Good Morning America" Book Club pick, with authors Bonnie Garmus and Claire Lombardo.
Monday, May 2nd at 1pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites: Jennifer Egan will join members of the Simon & Schuster team to discuss her new novel, THE CANDY HOUSE, which is April's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites.
Monday, May 2nd at 3:30pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Jennifer McMahon will discuss her latest novel, THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL, which brilliantly explores the eerie mysteries of childhood and the evils perpetrated by the monsters among us.
Monday, May 2nd at 7pm ET: Cuyahoga County Public Library: Join Cuyahoga County Public Library for a conversation with A.J. Jacobs about his new book, THE PUZZLER: One Man's Quest to Solve the Most Baffling Puzzles Ever, from Crosswords to Jigsaws to the Meaning of Life.
Monday, May 2nd at 7pm ET: Joseph-Beth Booksellers: Emily Henry will be in conversation with Laura Hankin about her new romantic comedy, the insightful and delightful BOOK LOVERS.
Tuesday, May 3rd at 7pm ET: Phoenix Books: Phoenix Books will welcome Jennifer McMahon to their Zoom stage for a discussion of THE CHILDREN ON THE HILL, her genre-defying new novel inspired by Mary Shelley’s masterpiece, FRANKENSTEIN. She will be in conversation with fellow author Alma Katsu.
Wednesday, May 4th at 6pm ET: RJ Julia Booksellers: A.J. Jacobs will be in conversation with award-winning comedian and New York Times bestselling author Andy Borowitz about his new book, THE PUZZLER, a rollicking journey to understand the enduring power of puzzles.
Wednesday, May 4th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry --- will throw a launch party for the release of Mary Kay's new book, THE HOMEWRECKERS, and the paperback release of Kristin's most recent book, THE FOREST OF VANISHING STARS.
Wednesday, May 4th at 9pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's, in partnership with Tattered Cover Book Store, will host Adriana Trigiani as she discusses her new book, THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE, with Taylor Jenkins Reid.
Thursday, May 5th at 7pm ET: Books & Books: Books & Books and Miami Book Fair will present a virtual event with Ann Hood, who will be in conversation with Laura Lippman about her new memoir, FLY GIRL.
"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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Sarah McCoy (MUSTIQUE ISLAND)
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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: May Fiction Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following fiction titles releasing in May do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
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22 SECONDS by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
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THE BOARDWALK BOOKSHOP by Susan Mallery
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BOOK OF NIGHT by Holly Black
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THE BOOK WOMAN’S DAUGHTER by Kim Michele Richardson
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THE CHANGE by Kirsten Miller
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DECIMATE by Christopher Rice
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EVERY CLOAK ROLLED IN BLOOD by James Lee Burke
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HALF-BLOWN ROSE by Leesa Cross-Smith
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THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews
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THE LATECOMER by Jean Hanff Korelitz
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THE LIONESS by Chris Bohjalian
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THE LOST SUMMERS OF NEWPORT by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White
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LOVE MARRIAGE by Monica Ali
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MEANT TO BE by Emily Giffin
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MUSTIQUE ISLAND by Sarah McCoy
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MY WIFE IS MISSING by D.J. Palmer
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NIGHTWORK by Nora Roberts
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OMEGA RULES: An Evan Ryder Novel, by Eric Van Lustbader
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OVERBOARD: A V.I. Warshawski Novel, by Sara Paretsky
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REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES by Shelby Van Pelt
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ROBERT B. PARKER'S REVENGE TOUR: A Sunny Randall Novel, by Mike Lupica
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SPARRING PARTNERS by John Grisham
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SUMMER LOVE by Nancy Thayer
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THE SUMMER PLACE by Jennifer Weiner
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TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY by Linwood Barclay
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THIS TIME TOMORROW by Emma Straub
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TRUST by Hernan Diaz
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TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON by Chris Pavone
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WITH A MIND TO KILL: A James Bond Novel, by Anthony Horowitz
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YOU HAVE A FRIEND IN 10A: Stories, by Maggie Shipstead
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, May 13th 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 29th to May 13th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews and THE LIONESS by Chris Bohjalian.
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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