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The Peaches Are in the House!
Well, we know it’s truly summer when the peaches are in the house. We typically order from The Georgia Peach Company, but they did not seem to have any NJ stops this year. So we went with The Peach Truck, and Tom picked up two boxes of peaches on Wednesday. They seem to be from South Carolina. It appears there was a frost in Georgia that ruined most of the crop there. Now these next two weeks will be about all things peaches. I am ready for pies, cobblers, salsas and lots of freezing.
As I write this, we are staying with our friends Beverley and Don. And yes, we brought them peaches. The guys are playing golf, while I am doing a number of book-related activities here. We kicked off Thursday at lunch where I was lucky enough to spend time with my book-loving friends from Stone Harbor and Avalon, who you can see in the photo above. From left to right: Lisa, Deb, Lisa (our Contest Coordinator!), Marilyn, Jen, me and Beverley. We talked books and life, reminiscing about time together at BookExpo and our Book Group Speed Dating events. The time just flew by.
That evening, I did a summer reading book preview event at the Avalon Free Public Library --- and seeing Erin and Linda from the library team there after two years of virtual presentations was wonderful. We had a terrific audience of eager readers. And yes, there was some social distancing, as well as lots of note-taking as I presented. You can see a photo from that event below.
Then today, Beverley and I were lucky enough to attend a book club event at the Yacht Club of Stone Harbor, where the discussion was about THE TOBACCO WIVES, which my book club is contemplating for next month. The author, Adele Myers, joined via Zoom. This is a book that I have been longing to read. I know, I should have read it first, but I really wanted to hear this conversation and “meet” Adele on video.
The timing worked out wonderfully to have these three bookish events all happening within 24 hours. Oh, and lest you wonder what the guys were up to today, yes, they played another round of golf.
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Katie Runde, whose newly released debut novel, THE SHORE, will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Set over the course of one summer on the Jersey Shore, this perfect beach read follows a mother and her two daughters as they grapple with heartbreak, young love and the weight of family secrets.
Katie talks about how her life influenced the writing of THE SHORE, as well as how the storytelling evolved over the years. We also share stories about the different towns that encompass the shore and how each town has its own personality. Plus, we delve into the characters --- and how they grow throughout the course of the book. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. I will share my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.
Deadly operative Scot Harvath faces down the country’s most powerful enemy in Brad Thor’s new white-knuckle thriller, RISING TIGER. With democracy itself hanging in the balance, Harvath will risk everything to untangle an explosive plot and bring every bad actor to justice.
According to our reviewer Ray Palen, “No one has their finger on the pulse of the world’s political spectrum quite like Brad Thor, and there is nothing like one of his novels to exemplify that. RISING TIGER is an intense, eye-opening thriller that is head and shoulders above anything else like it on the market. Scot Harvath is the closest thing we have to Captain America!”
Kathy Reichs returns with her 21st novel of suspense featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, COLD, COLD BONES. After receiving a box containing a human eyeball, Tempe uncovers a series of gruesome killings eerily reenacting the most shocking of her prior cases.
Ray has this to say in his review: “The finale of COLD, COLD BONES will bring all of Tempe’s personal business to the surface, and it will be used against her by someone from her past who has serious problems with her. This time, it’s not about the forensics or her anthropological expertise; it’s about how she can handle the pressure when she finds herself under the microscope.”
After a five-year hiatus, Rizzoli & Isles are back! In LISTEN TO ME, the highly anticipated 13th installment in Tess Gerritsen’s long-running series, Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles are investigating a brutal murder with dire implications --- and this time, Jane’s intrepid mother, Angela, is looking into a mystery of her own.
Ray wraps up his review by saying, “It’s difficult to go any further without revealing the exciting twists that are in store for readers. What I can say is that LISTEN TO ME is a fast, fun read with characters we have grown to love and root for as they deal with one of their most personal cases to date.”
We also are reviewing these two books, both of which are book club picks:
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TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW: In Gabrielle Zevin’s latest novel, which is July’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick, two friends come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity and, ultimately, a kind of immortality. On Thursday, July 28th at 3pm ET, Barnes & Noble will host a live virtual event with Gabrielle to discuss the book. Click here to sign up.
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THE MEASURE: Eight ordinary people. One extraordinary choice. That is the intriguing tagline to Nikki Erlick’s debut novel, which is this month’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick. "It sounds ominous in many ways but actually, it is about love and how we choose to spend our days," says Jenna. "I think it will make everyone feel immense gratitude for the beautiful little moments."
Summer Reading Update
Our Summer Reading contests resume next week with three giveaways. The prize books will be ACTS OF VIOLET by Margarita Montimore, THE BEST IS YET TO COME by Debbie Macomber, and THE TRUE LOVE BOOKSHOP by Annie Rains. The first contest of the week will be up on Monday, July 11th at noon ET.
Soak in the Sun with Five Must-Read Books for the Summer
Speaking of summer, I’d like to bring to your attention our Summer-Themed Book Group Reads feature on ReadingGroupGuides.com. Here, we are spotlighting five books from Harlequin Trade Publishing that we think book groups will enjoy discussing this summer: BEACH HOUSE SUMMER by Sarah Morgan, THE BOARDWALK BOOKSHOP by Susan Mallery, A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS by Adriana Herrera, THE HONEYMOON COTTAGE by Lori Foster, and SUMMER AT THE CAPE by RaeAnne Thayne. Scroll further down the newsletter to read all about these books and their authors. We also have discussion guides and excerpts for each title. See you at the water's edge for some fabulous beach reading!
This Month’s New in Paperback Feature
Our New in Paperback roundups are now available for July. We’re featuring paperback reprints from such bestselling authors as Janet Evanovich (GAME ON: A Stephanie Plum Novel), Liane Moriarty (APPLES NEVER FALL), Shari Lapena (NOT A HAPPY FAMILY), Joyce Maynard (COUNT THE WAYS), and Dean Koontz (QUICKSILVER); nonfiction titles, including FOREVER YOUNG: A Memoir by Hayley Mills and BATTLE FOR THE BIG TOP: P.T. Barnum, James Bailey, John Ringling and the Death-Defying Saga of the American Circus by Les Standiford; and paperback originals like THE EDGE OF SUMMER by Viola Shipman and IN HER BOOTS by KJ Dell'Antonia.
Revisiting My “Bookreporter Talks To” Interview with William Kent Krueger
Out in paperback this week is William Kent Krueger’s prequel to his Cork O’Connor series from last year, LIGHTNING STRIKE, a Bets On pick about fathers and sons, small-town conflicts, and the events that shape our lives forever. I talked to Kent about the book last August, so if you missed the interview or would like to take another look at it, you can watch it here or listen to the podcast here.
Please note that LIGHTNING STRIKE is the latest book we’re giving away in our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com. Three readers will win up to 12 paperback copies for their book group. To enter, be sure to fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, August 10th 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, July 22nd at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware and PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN by Daniel Silva.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
For our latest poll, we're presenting you with 30 fiction titles releasing this month and asking you which, if any, you’re planning to read. Click here to let us know.
In our previous poll, we listed 10 of my Bets On picks that are now or soon will be in paperback, and we asked which of these you have read or plan to read. Your top pick was THE PERSONAL LIBRARIAN by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray with 56% of the vote, followed by the aforementioned APPLES NEVER FALL by Liane Moriarty (44%) and LIGHTNING STRIKE by William Kent Krueger (40%). Click here for all the results.
THE DEAD ROMANTICS is July’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick. In Ashley Poston’s adult debut, a disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own has to find her way back home. Poston told “GMA,” “It’s a ghost story. Not only is it a ghost story, but it is a ghost romance. So it’s a little bit sexy and a little bit fun and a little bit swoony…and a lot dead.” She added, “It is my ode to romance novels --- all of them. I am a connoisseur of romance and if you are too, I really hope you find some joy in THE DEAD ROMANTICS.” We will share our review later this month.
Bolu Babalola’s debut novel, HONEY AND SPICE, is this month’s Reese’s Book Club pick. Reese says, “It’s about a young Black British woman named Kiki with a ton of ambition, who has to work with her colleague Malakai to get ahead in her NYC internship. I got so caught up in this romance, as Kiki and Malakai go from enemies to friends to lovers. It even reminded me of some hilarious dating stories from my early twenties.”
For more July selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.
This is your last Bookreporter newsletter reminder to sign up for this month’s “Bookaccino Live” preview event, which will take place next Wednesday, July 13th at 2pm ET. The focus will be on titles releasing between July 12th and August 2nd, in addition to a few from September, that I would like to get on your radar. Click here to register. 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.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Annie wrote about being one of the winners in our Father's Day contest: “I just received my giant box of 12 books. Thank you so much! I haven’t read any of them, and many are by favorite authors. The others look very interesting, and I’m sure I will have many wonderful hours of entertainment and learning ahead of me! Thank you from the bottom of my bookshelf!!” Great line…enjoy!
Terre wrote, “Good morning, Carol. While reading your weekly Bookreporter email on Saturday morning, I’ve taken to keeping open the app for the Upper Perkiomen Valley Library so I can add titles I want through Montgomery County, PA’s interlibrary loan program. Then I await my turn. I just received a Barnes & Noble gift card, which I will use via your link to purchase some new books. If only I can decide which ones! By the way, we live about 15 minutes from the part of Berks County, PA, where those dreadful spotted lantern flies first entered the country (sorry about that!). The only good news I can offer is that eventually they seem to move on. Good luck with your praying mantis eggs, and be sure to remove any nearby trees of heaven. They are their favorite snack tree.” Thanks for the lovely feedback. Drat on the lantern flies!
Hamish wrote from Australia (a place I hope to someday visit): “I have just read your latest weekly Bookreporter newsletter. I look forward to receiving it every Saturday (our time). I am a retired librarian and widower now living on Raymond Island in the Gippsland Lakes region of Australia (a tourist hotspot where you can see koalas up close in the 'wild'). I wish to thank you for your weekly newsletter as it gives me ideas of new authors and titles to look out for. Generally I read English crime and police procedurals these days, but also enjoy reading US authors like Connelly, Cussler, Gerritsen, Hurwitz, Rollins, Slaughter, Taylor and Thor (I can’t resist alphabetising this list!).
“My normal reading method is by Kindle or tablet, easy to read and carry anywhere (arthritis coming in my hands, you know), but I still purchase hardbacks for titles I want to keep, lend or treasure. Just thought I would send you this message as a token of my appreciation for all your work providing reading pleasure to me and countless others around the world.” Hamish, what a lovely note to wake up to on a Saturday morning. We will try to keep your reading list growing, and the alphabetizing is impressive!
Phoebe wrote this about winning a Summer Reading contest: “Thanks so much! Our book club celebrates our 20th anniversary in September. We've engaged in a variety of experiences over the years. We've discussed reading A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW, but perhaps I'll choose OUR WOMAN IN MOSCOW at my next hosting!” We love that we may inspire your book group’s selections.
Elvis: We went to see this the other night; I love half-priced Tuesday movie nights! Austin Butler was excellent. We all really loathed Tom Hanks’ performance; it was like his accent never settled into place. Baz Luhrmann is always over the top, and I think he could have peeled it back a bit. That said, the film was really well done.
“The Lincoln Lawyer” on Netflix: We finished the series, and it was really good. Then we watched the original movie with Matthew McConaughey and had a great time comparing the two.
Greg is finally back in town after a marathon trip to Vancouver and Chicago, the latter being where he and his friend Angela (who was in from the UK) surprised a friend for her birthday. Angela then spent a few fun-filled days with us. We joked that everyone should have a Brit at their 4th of July celebration for history’s sake. We had such fun catching up that night that we forgot to eat the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp that I had made for dessert. Yes, I was lucky enough to find rhubarb last Sunday at the farmers' market as Cory, his girlfriend Kaltrina and I moseyed from booth to booth. I also bought some giant carrots and breakfast radishes. Those two alone make a great appetizer.
I have developed a terrible habit of eating SkinnyPop Sea Salt & Pepper or plain popcorn. When I get on a roll working, I literally will fuel myself with popcorn. And poof, the bag is done. Forget all about those 39 calories a serving when you do so many servings that you need a calculator to figure out the cups of calories consumed. I am trying to switch over to something healthier, but, ah, the crunch of the popcorn has its allure. Will a carrot do the same?
I think weeding is in my weekend future, and I still am eagerly awaiting the arrival of the praying mantis eggs. The lantern flies are going to make me crazy!
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: RISING TIGER by Brad Thor
RISING TIGER by Brad Thor (Political Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Armand Schultz
An unprecedented, potentially nation-ending threat has materialized on the world stage. Fearful of the global consequences of engaging this enemy, administration after administration has passed the buck. The clock, however, has run out, and doing nothing is no longer an option. It is time to unleash Scot Harvath. As America’s top spy, Harvath has the unparalleled skills and experience necessary to handle any situation, but this assignment feels different. Thrust into a completely unfamiliar culture, with few he can trust, the danger begins mounting the moment he arrives. Amidst multiple competing forces and a host of deadly agendas, it becomes nearly impossible to tell predator from prey. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: COLD, COLD BONES by Kathy Reichs
COLD, COLD BONES: A Temperance Brennan Novel by Kathy Reichs (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Linda Emond
Freed from a heavy work schedule, Tempe Brennan is content to dote on her daughter, Katy, finally returning to civilian life from the army. But when mother and daughter meet at Tempe’s place one night, they find a box on the back porch with a very fresh human eyeball in it. GPS coordinates etched into the eyeball lead to a Benedictine monastery where an equally macabre discovery awaits. Soon after, Tempe examines a mummified corpse in a state park. There seems to be no pattern to the subsequent killings uncovered, except that each mimics in some way a homicide that a younger Tempe had been called in to analyze. Could this elaborately staged skein of mayhem be the prelude to a twist that is even more shocking? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: RIZZOLI & ISLES: LISTEN TO ME
by Tess Gerritsen
RIZZOLI & ISLES: LISTEN TO ME by Tess Gerritsen (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Tanya Eby
Boston homicide detective Jane Rizzoli and medical examiner Maura Isles are newly plagued by what seems like a completely senseless murder. Sofia Suarez, a widow and nurse who was universally liked by her neighbors, lies bludgeoned to death in her own home. But anything can happen behind closed doors, and Sofia seemed to have plenty of secrets in her last days, making covert phone calls to traceless burner phones. When Jane finally makes a connection between Sofia and the victim of a hit-and-run from months earlier, the case only grows more blurry. What exactly was Sofia involved in? One thing is clear: The killer will do anything it takes to keep their secret safe. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW,
AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin
July’s Barnes & Noble Book Club Pick
TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jennifer Kim and Julian Cihi
On a bitter cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn’t heard him, but then she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money and beg favors --- and before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even 25 years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful and rich, but these qualities won’t protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
» On Thursday, July 28th at 3pm ET, Barnes & Noble will welcome Gabrielle Zevin for a live virtual event to discuss the book. Click here to sign up.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE MEASURE by Nikki Erlick
July’s “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club Pick
THE MEASURE by Nikki Erlick (Fiction/Magical Realism)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan
It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee and head out. But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live. From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. In an instant, the world is thrust into a collective frenzy. Where did these boxes come from? What do they mean? Is there truth to what they promise? As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge? Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's "Read with Jenna" pick.
Click here to read our review.
New Special Feature on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Summer-Themed Book Group Reads
Summer has arrived, and with it comes a number of books to enjoy as you’re relaxing on your front porch or in your backyard, lounging on the beach, or staying cool indoors. In our Summer-Themed Book Group Reads feature, we are spotlighting five recently released novels from Harlequin Trade Publishing that we recommend talking about with your book group this summer. Click on each of the titles for plot summaries, excerpts, discussion questions and more.
BEACH HOUSE SUMMER by Sarah Morgan (Fiction)
When Joanna Whitman's famous ex-husband dies in a car accident, she doesn't know what to feel. Their dysfunctional marriage held more painful secrets than she cares to remember. But when she discovers that the young woman with him in the crash is pregnant, Joanna feels compelled to act. As secrets spill out under the hot summer sun, an unlikely friendship is about to be put to the test.
THE BOARDWALK BOOKSHOP by Susan Mallery (Fiction)
When fate brings three strangers to a charming space for lease on the California coast, the Boardwalk Bookshop is born. But while their business is thriving, their personal lives are not. As their bond grows closer, they challenge one another to become the best versions of themselves in this heartachingly beautiful story of friendship, sisterhood and the transformative power of love.
A CARIBBEAN HEIRESS IN PARIS by Adriana Herrera (Historical Romance)
Luz Alana set sail from Santo Domingo armed with 300 casks of rum, her two best friends and one simple rule: under no circumstances is she to fall in love. In the City of Lights, she intends to expand the rum business her family built over three generations, but buyers and shippers alike can’t imagine doing business with a woman…never mind a woman of color. Enter James Evanston Sinclair, Earl of Darnick, who has spent a decade looking for purpose outside of his father’s dirty money and dirtier dealings.
THE HONEYMOON COTTAGE by Lori Foster (Romance)
When it comes to creating the perfect happily-ever-after, Yardley Belanger is a bona fide miracle worker. But when it comes to her own love life, she’s completely clueless. The 31-year-old has poured her heart and soul into her business and doesn’t have time for anything --- or anyone --- else. And that’s something not even the gorgeous older brother of her newest client can change. Right?
SUMMER AT THE CAPE by RaeAnne Thayne (Fiction)
As the older sibling to identical twins Violet and Lily, Cami Porter was always the odd sister out. The divide grew even wider when their parents split up. While the twins stayed in Cape Sanctuary with their mother, Cami moved to LA with her father. Nearly 20 years later, when Cami gets the terrible news that Lily has drowned saving a child’s life, her mother begs her to return home to help untangle the complicated estate issues her sister left behind.
Click here for our Summer-Themed Book Group Reads feature.
Bookreporter.com's 18th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer is here! 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 next prize book will be announced on Monday, July 11th at noon ET.
This year’s featured titles include:
Click here to read all the contest details and learn more about our prize books.
July’s New in Paperback Roundups
July's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes LIGHTNING STRIKE, a powerful prequel to William Kent Krueger's acclaimed Cork O’Connor series, which is about fathers and sons, long-simmering conflicts in a small Minnesota town, and the events that echo through youth and shape our lives forever; APPLES NEVER FALL, a scandalous, page-turning novel from Liane Moriarty that looks at marriage, siblings and how the people we love the most can hurt us the deepest; COUNT THE WAYS by Joyce Maynard, a mesmerizing story of a family, from the hopeful early days of young marriage to parenthood, divorce and the costly aftermath that ripples through all their lives; and THE RUNAWAY, the seventh installment in Nick Petrie's powerful thriller series featuring war veteran Peter Ash, who rescues a stranded woman and finds she’s in far deeper trouble than he ever could imagine.
Among our nonfiction highlights are Hayley Mills' fascinating memoir, FOREVER YOUNG, in which the iconic actress shares personal memories from her storied childhood, growing up in a famous acting family and becoming a Disney child star, trying to grow up in a world that wanted her to stay forever young; BATTLE FOR THE BIG TOP by Les Standiford, the untold story of three Golden Age titans and the confrontations, cutthroat business strategies and eccentric personalities that built the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus; and SWAN DIVE, a page-turning, one-of-a-kind memoir from award-winning New York City Ballet soloist Georgina Pazcoguin (aka the Rogue Ballerina), who gives readers a backstage tour of the real world of elite ballet --- the gritty, hilarious, sometimes shocking truth you don’t see from the orchestra circle.
Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
July 4th, July 11th, July 18th and July 25th.
THE PALLBEARERS CLUB by Paul Tremblay (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Graham Halstead, Xe Sands and Elizabeth Wiley
Art Barbara was a 17-year-old high school loner in the late 1980s who started an extracurricular club for volunteer pallbearers at poorly attended funerals. His new friend brought along her Polaroid camera to take pictures of the corpses. Okay, that part was a little weird. So was her obsessive knowledge of a notorious bit of New England folklore that involved digging up the dead. And there were other strange things --- terrifying things --- that happened when she was around, usually at night. Decades later, Art tries to make sense of it all by writing The Pallbearers Club: A Memoir. But somehow this friend got her hands on the manuscript and, well, she has some issues with it. And now she’s making cuts. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
HOLY CHOW: An Andy Carpenter Mystery by David Rosenfelt (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Grover Gardner
About a year ago, Rachel Morehouse came to retired lawyer Andy Carpenter’s Tara Foundation looking for a companion. In her 60s and recently widowed, she wanted a senior dog that also needed someone. Andy took a liking to her, Rachel took a liking to Lion, an older Chow Chow, and the rest is history. That is, until Rachel calls Andy begging for a favor: If Rachel dies, will Andy take care of Lion if her stepson cannot? Andy agrees, no questions asked, and promptly forgets about it...until he receives a call from Rachel’s estate to attend her will reading. Which is where he meets Rachel’s stepson, Tony, who is promptly arrested for his stepmother’s murder. And he wants Andy to prove his innocence. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
CONFIDENCE by Denise Mina (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Rona Morison and Jonathan Keeble
Anna McDonald has forced her blended family to vacation together. The weather is bad, her daughters are bored, and her ex-husband is still insufferable. So when news of a shocking kidnapping breaks, Anna and Fin Cohen take off to solve the case. Lisa Lee, a young YouTube star, has vanished after answering the door to what she thought was a pizza delivery. Police suspect her dad or the delivery guy, but in Lisa’s last known video she ventured into an abandoned chateau in France, where she uncovered a priceless artifact. Anna knows they must find this young woman before it’s too late. To do so, they need to track down that treasure, a casket that could hold answers to the greatest questions ever asked. But Anna and Fin might have misunderstood the stakes of the game. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
GILT by Jamie Brenner (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by January LaVoy
The Pavlin family built an empire on love. As the first jewelers to sell diamond rings exclusively for proposals, they started a tradition that has defined engagements ever since. But when an ill-fated publicity stunt pits the three Pavlin sisters against one another for a famous family jewel, their bond is broken. No ordinary diamond ring, the Electric Rose splinters the sisters, leaving one unlucky in love, one escaping to the shores of Cape Cod, and the other, ultimately, dead. Now, over a decade later, Gemma Maybrook is still reconciling the reality of her mother's death. Left orphaned and cast out by her family after the tragic accident, Gemma is ready to reclaim what should have been hers: the Electric Rose. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
I USED TO LIVE HERE ONCE: The Haunted Life of Jean Rhys by Miranda Seymour (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Diana Quick
Jean Rhys is one of the most compelling writers of the 20th century. Memories of her Caribbean girlhood haunt the four short and piercingly brilliant novels that Rhys wrote during her extraordinary years as an exile in 1920s Paris and later in England, a body of fiction --- above all, the extraordinary Wide Sargasso Sea --- that has a passionate following today. And yet her own colorful life, including her early years on the Caribbean island of Dominica, remains too little explored, until now. In I USED TO LIVE HERE ONCE, Miranda Seymour sheds new light on the artist whose proud and fiercely solitary life profoundly informed her writing. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
DREAM ON by Angie Hockman (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Lindsey Dorcus
When law grad Cass Walker wakes up after surviving a car accident, she is flooded with memories of a man named Devin. The only problem? Devin --- as confirmed by family, friends and doctors --- doesn’t exist. Everything about him is a figment of Cass’ coma-addled imagination. Still, she can’t get him out of her head. So when she happens upon the real Devin a year later in a Cleveland flower shop, she’s completely shocked. Even more surprising is that Devin actually believes her story, and despite his protective younger brother’s doubts, they soon embark on a real-life romance. With her dream man by her side and a new job at a prestigious law firm, Cass’ future seems perfect. But fate might have other plans. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
PIG YEARS by Ellyn Gaydos (Nature/Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Ellyn Gaydos
As a farmer in Upstate New York and Vermont, Ellyn Gaydos lives on the knife edge between loss and gain. Her debut memoir draws us into this precarious world, conjuring with stark simplicity the lifeblood of the farm. Joy and tragedy are frequent bedfellows. Fields go barren and animals meet their end too soon, but then their bodies become food in a time-old human ritual. Seasonal hands are ground down by the hard work, but new relationships are formed, love blossoms and Gaydos yearns to become a mother. As winter’s dark descends, PIG YEARS draws us into a violent and gorgeous world where pigs are star-bright symbols of hope and beauty surfaces in the furrows, the sow, even in the slaughter. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
MISS CHLOE: A Memoir of a Literary Friendship with Toni Morrison by A. J. Verdelle (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Bahni Turpin
Toni Morrison, born Chloe A Wofford, was a towering figure in the world of literature when she entered A.J. Verdelle’s life. Their literary friendship was a young writer’s dream --- simultaneously exhilarating, intimidating, fulfilling and challenging. Like many women friends, these two writers imagined and built a relationship that was responsive, inventive and engaged. MISS CHLOE powerfully situates the risks writers face and the freedom they find when they put Black women’s lives into words. Verdelle chronicles her grief at Morrison’s passing and finds comfort in Morrison’s astute advice --- wisdom Verdelle didn’t always recognize at the time. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.
CLOCKWORK DESTINY by Kevin J. Anderson and Neil Peart (Science Fiction/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Kevin J. Anderson
In CLOCKWORK ANGELS and CLOCKWORK LIVES, readers met the optimistic young hero Owen Hardy, as well as the more reluctant adventurer Marinda Peake, in an amazing world of airships and alchemy, fantastic carnivals and lost cities. Now Owen Hardy, retired and content in his quiet, perfect life with the beautiful Francesca, is pulled into one last adventure with his eager grandson, Alain. This final mission for the Watchmaker will take them up to the frozen lands of Ultima Thule and the ends of the Earth. Marinda Peake must undertake a mission of her own, not only to compile the true life story of the mysterious Watchmaker, but also to stop a deadly new group of anarchists. Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.
BARRED JUSTICE: A Memoir of Innocence and Deceit by John Oliver Green (Memoir)
In 1982, young tax attorney John Green receives word that a client's plane has just crashed. The client's wife asks John to fly to Mississippi, find her husband's plane and see if he is still alive. Arriving at the crash site, he discovers that his client has died while smuggling drugs from Columbia. Soon John finds himself caught between a vengeful IRS agent with a personal grudge and a drug cartel that wants him dead. With his life in danger, he flees from Oklahoma to Texas where he is indicted and arrested. Without bail, he is shuffled from jail to jail and denied medical treatment while agents try to coerce a confession. John declines a misdemeanor plea, believing that justice will prevail if he goes to trial. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on July 12th
Below are some notable titles releasing on July 12th 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 July 11th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
THE 6:20 MAN by David Baldacci (Thriller)
A cryptic murder pulls a former soldier turned financial analyst deep into the corruption and menace that prowl beneath the opulent world of finance.
AMERICAN CARTEL: Inside the Battle to Bring Down the Opioid Industry by Scott Higham and Sari Horwitz (True Crime)
AMERICAN CARTEL is an unflinching and deeply documented dive into the culpability of the drug companies behind the staggering death toll of the opioid epidemic.
THE BEST IS YET TO COME by Debbie Macomber (Fiction)
When a woman alone in the world bravely chooses to open her heart, two lost souls have a new chance at belonging.
CHRYSALIS by Lincoln Child (Technothriller)
A dominant tech company’s groundbreaking virtual reality technology is redefining the way we live...and possibly introducing a catastrophic danger to the world.
THE DISINVITED GUEST by Carol Goodman (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
From two-time Mary Higgins Clark Award–winning author Carol Goodman comes a new mystery, about a group of friends isolated on a remote island with a history of foul play.
THE EDGE OF SUMMER by Viola Shipman (Fiction)
Bestselling author Viola Shipman delights with this captivating summertime escape set along the sparkling shores of Lake Michigan, where a woman searches for clues to her secretive mother's past.
EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES: Stories of Crime and Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates (Crime Fiction/Short Stories)
Joyce Carol Oates has made a career of exploring the forbidden corners of human experience, and the stories collected here, spanning her first three decades as a writer, are among her most unsettling and unforgettable works to date.
HELLTOWN: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod by Casey Sherman (True Crime)
HELLTOWN transports us back to the turbulent late 1960s, revealing the secrets of notorious serial killer Tony Costa --- the most dangerous man on Cape Cod --- and unspooling the threads connecting Costa, Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer in the seaside city that played host to horrors unlike any ever seen before.
THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware (Psychological Thriller)
The #1 New York Times bestselling author of the “claustrophobic spine-tingler” (People) ONE BY ONE returns with an unputdownable mystery following a woman on the search for answers a decade after her friend’s murder.
SISTER MOTHER WARRIOR by Vanessa Riley (Historical Fiction)
Vanessa Riley brings readers a vivid, sweeping novel of the Haitian Revolution based on the true-life stories of two extraordinary women: Marie-Claire Bonheur, the first Empress of Haiti, and Gran Toya, a West African-born warrior who helped lead the rebellion that drove out the French and freed the enslaved people of Haiti.
UPGRADE by Blake Crouch (Science Fiction/Thriller)
Intimate in scale yet epic in scope, UPGRADE is an intricately plotted, lightning-fast tale that charts one man’s thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity --- and our boundless potential.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Blake Crouch, Ruth Ware, Wade Rouse (writing as Viola Shipman)
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
As many book and author events are still 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, July 11th at 7pm ET: Literati Bookstore: Literati Bookstore is pleased to welcome Salma El-Wardany and Leesa Cross-Smith to the At Home with Literati series in support of their recent titles, THE IMPOSSIBLE THINGS and HALF-BLOWN ROSE. This event is presented in partnership with Grand Central Publishing's Sizzling Summer Reads program.
Tuesday, July 12th at 8pm ET: Old Firehouse Books: Old Firehouse Books is thrilled to partner with Boulder Bookstore, Bookworm of Edwards, Book Bar and the Estes Valley Library via Macdonald Bookshop to host Blake Crouch. He will be in conversation with Amor Towles about his new book, UPGRADE.
Tuesday, July 12th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Lincoln Child will discuss his new novel, CHRYSALIS, with his editor, Jason Kaufman. This blockbuster thriller is centered on a dominant tech company --- Chrysalis --- whose groundbreaking virtual reality technology is redefining the way we live...and possibly introducing a catastrophic danger to the world.
Wednesday, July 13th at 2pm ET: "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books": Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between July 12th and August 2nd, along with a few from September, that she would like to get on your radar.
Wednesday, July 13th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Ruth Ware for a live virtual event to celebrate the release of THE IT GIRL as part of their B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. She will be in conversation with RECKLESS GIRLS author Rachel Hawkins.
Wednesday, July 13th at 7pm ET: Cuyahoga County Public Library: Join the Cuyahoga Library for a conversation with award-winning memoirist Wade Rouse, who writes fiction as Viola Shipman, about his latest novel, THE EDGE OF SUMMER.
Wednesday, July 13th 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 Katherine Center and Linda Holmes about their latest novels, THE BODYGUARD and FLYING SOLO.
Thursday, July 14th at 2pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: KJ Dell'Antonia, the New York Times bestselling author of THE CHICKEN SISTERS, will discuss her new novel, IN HER BOOTS, a delightfully entertaining story about a ruse that goes awry and a chaotic homecoming that proves that confronting your past can sometimes set you free.
"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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Jennifer Hillier (THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK)
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Casey Sherman (HELLTOWN: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: July Fiction Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following fiction titles releasing in July are you planning to read? Please check all that apply.
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THE 6:20 MAN by David Baldacci
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ACTS OF VIOLET by Margarita Montimore
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ARMORED by Mark Greaney
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THE BEST IS YET TO COME by Debbie Macomber
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THE BIG DARK SKY by Dean Koontz
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THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Center
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CHRYSALIS by Lincoln Child
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COLD, COLD BONES: A Temperance Brennan Novel, by Kathy Reichs
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THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
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THE DISPLACEMENTS by Bruce Holsinger
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THE EDGE OF SUMMER by Viola Shipman
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FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark
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HONEY AND SPICE by Bolu Babalola
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THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware
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THE KINGDOMS OF SAVANNAH by George Dawes Green
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THE LAST TO VANISH by Megan Miranda
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THE PALLBEARERS CLUB by Paul Tremblay
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PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN by Daniel Silva
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REPUTATION by Sarah Vaughan
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RISING TIGER by Brad Thor
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RIZZOLI & ISLES: LISTEN TO ME by Tess Gerritsen
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SHATTERED: A Michael Bennett Thriller, by James Patterson and James O. Born
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SHOULD I FALL by Scott Shepherd
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SISTER MOTHER WARRIOR by Vanessa Riley
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SUGAR AND SALT by Susan Wiggs
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THE SWEET REMNANTS OF SUMMER: An Isabel Dalhousie Novel, by Alexander McCall Smith
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SWITCHBOARD SOLDIERS by Jennifer Chiaverini
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THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK by Jennifer Hillier
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TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin
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UPGRADE by Blake Crouch
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, July 22nd 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 July 8th to July 22nd at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware and PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN by Daniel Silva.
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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