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I have discovered the way that I get more reading done. I leave my phone in the house, head outside to my chair underneath the turquoise tent, which my husband calls “The Cleopatra Tent,” and I read. Then I float in the pool and read. Last Saturday, I floated and kicked for three hours while reading THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware. A pool means that I can exercise and read at the same time. This is very efficient. I have been lobbying hard for a hot tub. I was picturing myself reading while kicking my legs with flippers. Yes, I will not get far, but what a workout. Hmmm…I will need heatproof flippers.
This method of reading worked so well last weekend that I am going to try it again as I head to finish LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY by Bonnie Garmus. Besides our review, which ran a while ago, Ingrid, one of our readers from the Netherlands, highly recommended it to me. I am looking forward to interviewing Bonnie next week! Next up is FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark. I still am madly playing book catch-up; I used to be months ahead, and now I often find myself falling behind.
A book that I read a few months ago and have been raving about is BULLY MARKET: My Story of Money and Misogyny at Goldman Sachs by Jamie Fiore Higgins, which will be out on August 30th. This is a memoir based on Jamie’s nearly two-decade career at Goldman Sachs, but it reads like a novel. I read it in two days. She talks about being born to immigrant parents who expected her to “do better” than them in getting the highest-paying job possible. So she took a high-paying job at Goldman instead of the one she had been planning as a social worker.
The Goldman money was like a drug. Jamie's pay and bonus structure brought her huge financial rewards, but this came at the expense of her values. She talks freely about getting caught up in the crazy social scene that surrounds these high-paying stakes. She attained the coveted Managing Director status, which required a lot of late-night socializing and client schmoozing. The job rocked her marriage, and she recognized at a certain point that she needed to get on course. She began to realize that she was not the person she wanted to be. She also saw how she was being treated by the men at Goldman, and how her own rise to the top had come at the expense of other women. So she banked a number and then walked away.
Jonathan Karp, the CEO of Simon & Schuster, loves BULLY MARKET too. His latest episode of “The Word According to Karp” is terrific, and he tells you even more about the book. I love his video series!
I am not the only person on our team who has bookish adventures. Yesterday, our Contest Coordinator, Lisa Hickman, attended a fun event featuring “Friends & Fiction” authors Mary Kay Andrews, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry. Sadly, the fourth member of the “Friends & Fiction” quartet, Kristin Harmel, wasn’t able to attend due to COVID. Here’s what Lisa shared about the program:
“The event took place at Rehoboth Beach Country Club in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. It was moderated by librarian Ron Block and sponsored by Browseabout Books. Meg Walker, a longtime publishing professional and the Managing Director of 'Friends & Fiction,' also monitored the discussion. The authors spoke about their current books, what they're working on now, and what they have recently read. My friend, Virginia Lane, joined me on the Cape May–Lewes Ferry for the adventure. We had a delicious buffet luncheon accompanied by beautiful views of the Delmarva Peninsula. The authors walked over to each table, greeted everyone, and stayed after for book signings and pictures.”
Above is a picture of Lisa and Virginia with the authors. From left to right are Kristy, Lisa, MKA, Virginia and Patti.
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Jennifer Hillier, whose new thriller, THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK, will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. In it, Paris Peralta is suspected of killing her celebrity husband, and her long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future.
Jennifer explains what sent her in the direction to write this book; she wanted to look at what would happen to someone who had been damaged as a child and where they go from there. She talks about writing out of sequence and being “an instant gratification author,” the fun she had coming up with all the scenes, and her relationship with her editor, who helped her with the flow of the novel. We also talk sharp objects and Russian Red lipstick. Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast.
Rebecca Munro has our review of THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK and calls it “a meticulously plotted thriller that reads like a masterclass in suspense writing. Shifting timelines are not uncommon in suspense fiction, but Hillier’s hold of her plotlines is so structured and assured that they provide the oomph of two full-length books with the intrigue of one indivisible plot.” Don't miss my Bets On commentary in next week's newsletter.
PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN is the newly released 22nd installment in Daniel Silva’s Gabriel Allon series. This time, the legendary spy and art restorer undertakes a high-stakes search for the greatest art forger who ever lived.
Our reviewer Kate Ayers says, “Just because Gabriel retired doesn’t mean that his story ends. It simply means that he doesn’t have The Office looking over his shoulder anymore. He can choose his battles now. This battle is no less thrilling than those he fought as a spy. And the sneaky twist at the end puts the icing on the cake. You won’t see it coming.”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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THE BIG DARK SKY: In Dean Koontz’s twist-filled new novel, a group of strangers bound by terrifying synchronicity becomes humankind’s hope for survival.
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UPGRADE: Blake Crouch’s mind-blowing new thriller charts one man’s thrilling transformation, even as it asks us to ponder the limits of our humanity --- and our boundless potential. Note: we have TWO reviews of the book as our reviewers Pamela Kramer and Ray Palen were so excited about its release --- and both are raving about it.
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THE DEAD ROMANTICS: A disillusioned millennial ghostwriter who, quite literally, has some ghosts of her own has to find her way back home in Ashley Poston’s adult debut novel, which is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick.
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SHOULD I FALL: Retired Scotland Yard Inspector Austin Grant races to prove the innocence of a falsely accused fugitive --- his daughter’s fiancée --- in Scott Shepherd’s latest whodunit. I interviewed Scott last year about THE LAST COMMANDMENT, the first in the series, and hope to catch up with him soon about the sequel.
Before Charles Manson, There Was Tony Costa --- the Serial Killer of Cape Cod
We continue to feature Casey Sherman’s HELLTOWN: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod in our True Crime Author Spotlight. The serial killer of the subtitle refers to Tony Costa, who was the most dangerous man on Cape Cod during the turbulent late 1960s. This stunning book unspools the threads connecting Costa, Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer in the seaside city that played host to horrors unlike any ever seen before. Click here to read our review and here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com. I will be talking to Casey on Tuesday, and we will feature the interview in next week's newsletter.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
My latest Bets On pick is THE SHORE by Katie Runde; click here to read my commentary. If you missed my interview with Katie from a couple of weeks ago, you can watch it here and listen to the podcast here.
Summer Reading Update
Next week, we will be giving away Susan Wiggs’ new book, SUGAR AND SALT, in our latest Summer Reading giveaway. The 24-hour contest for it will be up starting on Tuesday, July 26th 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, August 5th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win THE LAST TO VANISH by Megan Miranda, which will be a Bets On selection, and THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY by Jamie Ford, which I have on my “to be read” pile.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
For our latest poll, we’re curious to know if you watch online videos or listen to podcasts about books. Click here to cast your votes. I was thrilled to see this week that we now have 2,740 subscribers to our YouTube channel, and our videos there have over 256,000 views. Also, our “Bookreporter Talks To” podcast has received nearly 80,000 downloads!
In our previous poll, we listed 30 fiction titles that are releasing this month and asked which of them, if any, you are looking forward to reading. Here are your top five picks: the aforementioned THE IT GIRL by Ruth Ware (46%), THE 6:20 MAN by David Baldacci (29%), TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin (26%), THE EDGE OF SUMMER by Viola Shipman (21%), and the aforementioned SUGAR AND SALT by Susan Wiggs (21%). Click here for all the results.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Judy wrote an email with the subject line “Old Freezer,” which said the following: “I read, with interest, your comments about your old freezer. I also have a VERY old (think 64 years old) Coldspot freezer, but mine is white. It's an upright bought before my son was born, and he is 61 years old. So sad that Sears with their Coldspot and Kenmore appliances that lasted forever is no more, and also so sad that appliances we buy now last only a few years. Not all progress is good, that's for sure.
“I always enjoy your newsletters and often read books I've seen reviewed in your newsletter. But I also read authors I don't remember seeing you review (so many good books, so little time). Right now I'm into the latest Charles Martin series. I reread the first book that I had read when it was new, and am now into the second as I wait for my library to get the third (and I think final) book of The Keeper series. I also love David Baldacci, Thomas Perry, John Grisham and William Kent Krueger, among many others. Keep up the good work.” I loathe the idea of buying ANY new appliances!
Jalynn wrote, “I love the cowboy hat, but you should not have mentioned the basement freezer! You better check it every day for a while!!” So, so right on the latter. I must make a note to do that.
The Fallon Book Club: In the past, this selection has come down to a reader vote. This year, Jimmy Fallon picked, and his choice is the aforementioned TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin.
The Last Movie Stars on HBO Max: Directed by Ethan Hawke, this documentary chronicles the love story of Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward. Before he died, Newman interviewed some of his most famous friends as part of a possible memoir project, and though he ultimately burned the tapes, Hawke was able to find transcripts of everything. Read by George Clooney and Laura Linney, the revealing conversations bring to life two of our most timeless icons.
“Virgin River” on Netflix: The new season is here, and I am more than ready to watch it.
The Gray Man on Netflix: This film is based on the book of the same name by Mark Greaney. Gray Man is one of my husband’s favorite book series, so you know what we will be watching tonight.
“The Bear” on Hulu: I watched two episodes, and though I am not one to shy away from grit, this series about some chefs feels too rough for me. Maybe I will give it one more episode.
I saw Where the Crawdads Sing, and I confess that I was not enamored with it. It had stunning scenery, but I felt the acting was forced. My husband saw it with me; he had not read the book and was surprised at the ending. It’s been insanely hot here, and we saw it in a theater that felt like it was stuck on icebox mode. I left my sweatshirt home and all but felt my teeth chattering. I never felt like I was in the swamp!
This weekend, Cory and his girlfriend are headed camping; I did remind him that it is supposed to be close to 100 degrees on Sunday. Tom’s sister, Kate, and her family are coming here on Saturday for swimming and a barbecue. I already made a cherry pie and a peach pie. All this baking and freezing of eight cups of peaches, and we still have more than a dozen peaches left! Greg will be in and out working on his cars, which he has in various states of repair.
We have had a terrific kid from the neighborhood here weeding and mulching, two projects that we have been woefully inattentive to the last two years, and he has been doing a great job. There is still more to do, and I am grateful that he has the time to work on this for us. I still am at war with the Japanese beetles, and I am waiting for my praying mantis egg to hatch. Nature. It still amazes me!
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:
PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN
by Daniel Silva
PORTRAIT OF AN UNKNOWN WOMAN by Daniel Silva (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini
Legendary spy and art restorer Gabriel Allon has at long last severed ties with Israeli intelligence and settled quietly in Venice. His beautiful wife, Chiara, has taken over the day-to-day management of the Tiepolo Restoration Company, and their two young children are discreetly enrolled in a neighborhood scuola elementare. For his part, Gabriel spends his days wandering the streets and canals of the watery city, bidding farewell to the demons of his tragic, violent past. But when the eccentric London art dealer Julian Isherwood asks Gabriel to investigate the circumstances surrounding the rediscovery and lucrative sale of a centuries-old painting, he is drawn into a deadly game of cat and mouse where nothing is as it seems. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE BIG DARK SKY by Dean Koontz
THE BIG DARK SKY by Dean Koontz (Supernatural Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Fajer Al-Kaisi
As a girl, Joanna Chase thrived on Rustling Willows Ranch in Montana until tragedy upended her life. Now 34 and living in Santa Fe, she begins to receive pleas: I am in a dark place, Jojo. Please come and help me. Heeding the disturbing appeals, Joanna is compelled to return to Montana, and to a strange childhood companion she had long forgotten. People from all walks of life have converged at the remote Montana ranch. They are haunted, on the run, obsessed and seeking answers to the same omniscient danger Joanna came to confront. All the while, on the outskirts of Rustling Willows, a madman lurks with a vision to save the future. Mass murder is the only way to see his frightening manifesto come to pass. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Reviews: UPGRADE by Blake Crouch
UPGRADE by Blake Crouch (Science Fiction/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Henry Levya
At first, Logan Ramsay isn’t sure if anything's different. He just feels a little…sharper. Better able to concentrate. Better at multitasking. Reading a bit faster, memorizing better, needing less sleep. But before long, he can’t deny it: Something’s happening to his brain. To his body. He’s starting to see the world, and those around him --- even those he loves most --- in whole new ways. The truth is, Logan’s genome has been hacked. And there’s a reason he’s been targeted for this upgrade. A reason that goes back decades to the darkest part of his past, and a horrific family legacy. Worse still, what’s happening to him is just the first step in a much larger plan, one that will inflict the same changes on humanity at large --- at a terrifying cost. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer and Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Read reviews from Pamela Kramer and Ray Palen.
True Crime Author Spotlight:
HELLTOWN by Casey Sherman
HELLTOWN: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod by Casey Sherman (True Crime)
1969: The hippie scene is vibrant in Provincetown, Massachusetts. Long-haired teenagers roam the streets, strumming guitars and preaching about peace and love...and Tony Costa is at the center of it all. To a certain group of smitten young women, he is known as Sire --- the leader of their counter-culture movement, the charming man who speaks eloquently and hands out hallucinogenic drugs like candy. But beneath his benign persona lies a twisted and uncontrollable rage that threatens to break loose at any moment. Tony Costa is the most dangerous man on Cape Cod, and no one who crosses his path is safe.
When young women begin to disappear, Costa's natural charisma and good looks initially protect him from suspicion. But as the bodies are discovered, the police close in on him as the key suspect. Meanwhile, local writers Kurt Vonnegut and Norman Mailer are locked in a desperate race to secure their legacies as great literary icons --- and they both set their sights on Tony Costa and the drug-soaked hippie culture that he embodies as their next promising subject, launching independent investigations that stoke the competitive fires between two of the greatest American writers.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to read Casey Sherman's bio.
- Click here to connect with Casey Sherman on Twitter.
Click here to read our review.
Click here to read more in our True Crime Author Spotlight.
Don't miss our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with
Casey Sherman in next week's newsletter.
Featured Review:
THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK by Jennifer Hillier
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK by Jennifer Hillier (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Carla Vega
When Paris Peralta is arrested in her own bathroom --- covered in blood, holding a straight razor, her celebrity husband dead in the bathtub behind her --- she knows she'll be charged with murder. With the unwanted media attention now surrounding her, it's only a matter of time before someone from her long-hidden past recognizes her and destroys the new life she's worked so hard to build. Twenty-five years earlier, Ruby Reyes was convicted of a similar murder in a trial that riveted Canada in the early ’90s. Reyes knows who Paris really is, and when she's unexpectedly released from prison, she threatens to expose all of Paris' secrets. Left with no other choice, Paris must finally confront the dark past she escaped. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Jennifer Hillier.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read our review.
THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.
Featured Review:
THE DEAD ROMANTICS by Ashley Poston
July’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
THE DEAD ROMANTICS by Ashley Poston (Paranormal Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Eileen Stevens
Florence Day is the ghostwriter for one of the most prolific romance authors in the industry, and she has a problem. After a terrible breakup, she no longer believes in love. When her new editor, a too-handsome mountain of a man, won't give her an extension on her book deadline, Florence prepares to kiss her career goodbye. But then she gets a phone call, and she must return home for the first time in a decade to help her family bury her beloved father. For 10 years, she's run from the town that never understood her, and it feels like nothing has changed. Until she finds a ghost standing at the funeral parlor’s front door, just as broad and infuriatingly handsome as ever, and he’s just as confused about why he’s there as she is. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: SHOULD I FALL by Scott Shepherd
SHOULD I FALL by Scott Shepherd (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Paul Woodson
When John Frankel’s ex-wife is discovered dead on the floor of his Manhattan studio apartment, the NYPD detective instantly becomes the prime suspect in her murder. Then more information surfaces, linking his gun to the fatal bullet, a motive is discovered and Frankel flees the city, all of which further convinces his colleagues of his guilt. In spite of the mounting evidence, Frankel’s bride-to-be, Rachel Grant, and her father, Austin Grant, formerly of Scotland Yard, are certain of his innocence. But with the police under orders to use whatever force necessary to stop what they view as a dangerous criminal, the duo will have to act fast before the manhunt goes violently wrong. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to visit Scott Shepherd's website.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE SHORE by Katie Runde
THE SHORE by Katie Runde (Fiction)
Through the years, I have read many books that have taken place at beach locations, but I am trying to remember one set at a New Jersey beach. Here in Jersey, where I am from, we do not go to the beach --- we “go down the shore.” So I was really excited to get my hands on a book called THE SHORE by Katie Runde. It is set in Seaside Beach, a beach town well known to Katie as she grew up there; while this is not “her story,” she borrows from her own life for inspiration. Growing up in a shore town means working all summer to make enough for your family to survive the winter months when these towns become quiet and a version of a special paradise for the locals.
The novel is told through the eyes of the Dunne family --- Margot, and her two teen daughters, Liz and Evy. There is also a one-page chapter from Brian, the husband and father, which opens the book. It is poignant as to why he gets just a page.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Katie Runde.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
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 Tuesday, July 26th at noon ET.
This year’s featured titles include:
Click here to read all the contest details and learn more about our prize books.
THE DAUGHTER OF DOCTOR MOREAU by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Historical/Science Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Gisela Chípe
Carlota Moreau: A young woman growing up on a distant and luxuriant estate, safe from the conflict and strife of the Yucatán peninsula. The only daughter of a researcher who is either a genius or a madman. Montgomery Laughton: A melancholic overseer with a tragic past and a propensity for alcohol. An outcast who assists Dr. Moreau with his experiments. The hybrids: The fruits of the doctor’s labor, destined to blindly obey their creator and remain in the shadows. A motley group of part human, part animal monstrosities. All of them live in a perfectly balanced and static world, which is jolted by the abrupt arrival of Eduardo Lizalde, the charming and careless son of Dr. Moreau’s patron, who will unwittingly begin a dangerous chain reaction. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
THE RETREAT by Sarah Pearse (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Elizabeth Knowelden
An idyllic wellness retreat has opened on an island off the English coast, promising rest and relaxation --- but the island itself, known locally as Reaper’s Rock, has a dark past. Once the playground of a serial killer, it’s rumored to be cursed. A young woman is found dead below the yoga pavilion in what seems to be a tragic fall. But Detective Elin Warner soon learns the victim wasn’t a guest --- in fact, she wasn’t meant to be on the island at all. And they would do anything to escape. The longer Elin stays, the more secrets she uncovers. When someone else drowns in a diving incident, Elin begins to suspect that there’s nothing accidental about these deaths. But why would someone target the guests at this luxury resort? Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
THE CHURCH OF BASEBALL: The Making of Bull Durham: Home Runs, Bad Calls, Crazy Fights, Big Swings, and a Hit by Ron Shelton (Performing Arts/Sports)
Audiobook available, read by Ron Shelton
Bull Durham, the breakthrough 1988 film about a minor league baseball team, is widely revered as the best sports movie of all time. But back in 1987, Ron Shelton was a first-time director, and no one was willing to finance a movie about baseball --- especially a story set in the minors. The jury was still out on Kevin Costner’s leading-man potential, while Susan Sarandon was already a has-been. But something miraculous happened, and THE CHURCH OF BASEBALL attempts to capture why. From organizing a baseball camp for the actors and rewriting key scenes while on set, to dealing with a short production schedule and overcoming the challenge of filming the sport, Shelton brings to life the making of this beloved American movie. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan (www.RonKaplansBaseballBookshelf.com).
- Click here to read an interview with Ron Shelton.
AMERICAN CARTEL: Inside the Battle to Bring Down the Opioid Industry by Scott Higham and Sari Horwitz (True Crime)
Audiobook available, read by Kiff VandenHeuvel
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. It follows a small band of DEA agents led by Joseph Rannazzisi, a tough-talking New Yorker who had spent a storied 30 years bringing down bad guys, along with a band of lawyers, including West Virginia native Paul Farrell Jr., who fought to hold the drug industry to account in the face of the worst man-made drug epidemic in American history. It is the story of underdogs prevailing over corporate greed and political cowardice, persevering in the face of predicted failure, and how they found some semblance of justice for the families of the dead during the most complex civil litigation ever seen. Reviewed by Cindy Burnett.
THE GREAT MAN THEORY by Teddy Wayne (Fiction/Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Adam Barr
Paul is a recently demoted adjunct instructor of freshman comp, a divorced but doting Brooklyn father, and a self-described “curmudgeonly crank” cataloging his resentment of the priorities of modern life in a book called The Luddite Manifesto. Outraged by the authoritarian creeps ruining the country, he is determined to better the future for his young daughter, one aggrieved lecture at a time. Shockingly, others aren't very receptive to Paul's scoldings. As one indignity follows the next, and Paul's disaffection with his circumstances and society mounts, he concocts a dramatic plan to right the world's wrongs and give himself a more significant place in it. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES: Stories of Crime and Suspense by Joyce Carol Oates (Crime Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by Hillary Huber
Two hitmen in a depressed rust belt town struggle with a job gone wrong. A girl witnesses a horrifying accident and carries it with her for the rest of her life. Medical students bring a severed foot to a college party. Five-time Pulitzer Prize finalist 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. Originally published in long out-of-print volumes, these tales have not appeared in any form this century --- until now. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
SHMUTZ by Felicia Berliner (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jesse Vilinsky
Like the other women in her Brooklyn Hasidic community, Raizl expects to find a husband through an arranged marriage. Unlike the other women, Raizl has a secret. With a hidden computer to help her complete her college degree, she falls down the slippery slope of online pornography. As Raizl dives deeper into the world of porn at night, her daytime life begins to unravel. Between combative visits with her shrink to complicated arranged dates, Raizl must balance her growing understanding of her sexuality with the more conventional expectations of the family she loves. Reviewed by Jesse Kornbluth for HeadButler.com.
THE BOOK OF SAND by Mo Hayder, writing as Theo Clare (Science Fiction/Fantasy)
Audiobook available, read by Kristin Atherton
Sand. A hostile world of burning sun. Outlines of several once-busy cities shimmer on the horizon. Now empty of inhabitants, their buildings lie in ruins. In the distance, a group of people --- a family --- walks toward us. To survive in this alien world of shifting sand, they must find an object hidden in or near water. But other families want it too. And they are willing to fight to the death to make it theirs. It is beginning to rain in Fairfax County, Virginia, when McKenzie Strathie wakes up. An ordinary teenage girl living an ordinary life --- except that the previous night she found a sand-lizard in her bed, and now she's beginning to question everything around her, especially who she really is. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE MEN by Sandra Newman (Science Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Mia Barron
Deep in the California woods, Jane Pearson is camping with her husband, Leo, and their five-year-old son, Benjamin. As dusk sets in, she drifts softly to sleep in a hammock strung outside the tent where Leo and Benjamin are preparing for bed. At that moment, every single person with a Y chromosome vanishes around the world. Leo and Benjamin are gone. After the Disappearance, Jane forces herself to enter a world she barely recognizes, one where women must create new ways of living. Meanwhile, strange video footage called “The Men” is being broadcast online showing images of the vanished men marching through barren, otherworldly landscapes. Is this just a hoax, or could it hold the key to the Disappearance? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
MOTHER OCEAN FATHER NATION by Nishant Batsha (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Neil Shah
On a small Pacific island, a brother and sister tune in to a breaking news radio bulletin. It is 1985, and an Indian grocer has just been attacked by nativists aligned with the recent military coup. Bhumi hears this news from her locked-down dorm room in the capital city. But when her friendship with the daughter of a prominent government official becomes a liability, she must flee her unstable home for California. Jaipal is stuck working in the family store, avoiding their father’s wrath, with nothing but his hidden desires to distract him. Desperate for money and connection, he seizes a sudden opportunity to take his life into his own hands for the first time. But his decision may leave him vulnerable to the island’s escalating volatility. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on July 26th
Below are some notable titles releasing on July 26th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks available the week of July 25th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
THE LAST TO VANISH by Megan Miranda (Psychological Thriller)
New York Times bestselling author Megan Miranda returns with a gripping and propulsive thriller that opens with the disappearance of a journalist who is investigating a string of vanishings in the resort town of Cutter’s Pass. Will its dark secrets finally be revealed?
THE NEW NEIGHBOR by Karen Cleveland (Thriller)
Secrets, jealousy and paranoia collide when a seemingly perfect new family moves into a neighborhood with ties to the CIA in this gripping thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of NEED TO KNOW.
POINT LAST SEEN by Christina Dodd (Thriller)
Perfect for fans of Lisa Jewell, Karin Slaughter and Sandra Brown, New York Times bestselling author Christina Dodd’s new thriller will have readers keeping the lights on all night.
ROBERT LUDLUM'S THE BOURNE SACRIFICE by Brian Freeman (Thriller/Adventure)
Jason Bourne tackles a global media conspiracy in the latest electrifying entry in Robert Ludlum’s #1 New York Times bestselling series.
SUGAR AND SALT by Susan Wiggs (Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of THE LOST AND FOUND BOOKSHOP returns to Perdita Street with a can’t-miss tale of friendship, hardship, redemption and love between a San Francisco baker and a barbecue master from Texas.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Susan Wiggs, Sarah Pearse, Ashley Poston
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.
Tuesday, July 26th at 7pm ET: Barnes & Noble Book Club: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Ashley Poston for a live virtual event to discuss THE DEAD ROMANTICS, July's B&N Book Club pick. She will be in conversation with Ali Hazelwood, whose new novel, LOVE ON THE BRAIN, is forthcoming.
Wednesday, July 27th at 7pm ET: "Friends & Fiction": The "Friends & Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry --- will talk to Jason Mott, whose most recent novel, HELL OF A BOOK, is now in paperback.
Wednesday, July 27th at 9pm ET: Best of Books: Join Best of Books and New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs to celebrate her newest novel, SUGAR AND SALT, a can’t-miss tale of friendship, hardship, redemption and love between a San Francisco baker and a barbecue master from Texas.
Thursday, July 28th at 2pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Sarah Pearse will discuss her new novel, THE RETREAT, which finds Detective Elin Warner uncovering the truth behind the suspicious deaths on a stunning island getaway.
Thursday, July 28th at 5:30pm ET: RJ Julia Booksellers: Join Sarah Pearse and Flynn Berry for a thrilling evening focusing on Pearse's latest book, THE RETREAT.
"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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Bonnie Garmus (LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY)
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Scott Shepherd (SHOULD I FALL)
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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:
Videos and Podcasts about Books --- Do You Tune In?
Do you watch online videos or listen to podcasts about books? Please check all that apply.
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I watch online videos about books.
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I listen to podcasts about books.
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I do not watch online videos or listen to podcasts about books.
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No, but I would be interested in watching online videos about books.
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No, but I would be interested in listening to podcasts about books.
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I do not watch online videos.
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I do not listen to podcasts.
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, August 5th 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 22nd to August 5th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE LAST TO VANISH by Megan Miranda and THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY by Jamie Ford.
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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