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Yippee! The air conditioner on the one side of the house is working again. I was able to stop being a nomad in my own home. My laptop and I were working all around the house on Monday and Tuesday. And I think/hope/pray that the brutal heat wave has ended, and we are able to stop watching flowers wilt. So many flowers and plants dried out, despite being watered every other day. We definitely need to get some fertilizing going. Anyone with ideas for what to do for reviving hydrangeas whose growth is stunted and have not flowered well for two years, I am all ears. Also, now that I have the air conditioning back on, you can plan on temps in the 80s in the New York area.
Back in mid-May, I tossed a liberal number of zinnia seeds into a flower bed, and they are coming up now. I love doing fresh cut flowers around the house. I would like to layer them with some limelight hydrangeas, but those are behind their typical bloom timing. The teenage boy from the neighborhood who is helping us with weeding has made everything look so much better. Weeds had choked so many flowers out. But I feel like we have a brilliant path forward right now. There is a bit more to do, but we are close. Mulch away, mulch away, mulch away all!
But progress on emptying the boxes of my sons’ childhood memories that were plucked from the attic so the workers could get in there to replace the AC is another story. I have unpacked exactly half of the boxes. In between homework and art projects, I found some notes written during the early-day history of The Book Report Network --- things we wrote even before the site launched.
Amusingly our original plan was to do author interviews for Barnes & Noble to play on VHS (I know, olden days) in their stores. We thought this programming would be interesting in their cafés and other spots around the store. Their questions when we presented the concept was a) who would turn on the TVs, b) what would happen when the tape needed to be changed, and c) what color would the TVs be. We clearly knew that this was not going to work, but I did find our early notes on this and on going to AOL to pitch them our project. That goes in the Book Report Network archive files!
I also found the original paperwork from the first Land Rover Discovery that we bought in 1994. Greg, our resident Land Rover fan, is going to love that folder of information. I am now going for another clean-up tactic here. First, I put all into the same style of boxes, which stack. Then one box a day. Or a box every two days. It is just too daunting to go through it all when I am so busy with office work, or to see it piled in my office. I love a really neat and organized office, and I have ANYTHING but that right now. Clutter stresses me out!
I still am finishing up FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark and very much savoring it. Next up will be THE TOBACCO WIVES by Adele Myers for book group on Wednesday night.
We hosted this month’s “Bookaccino Live” preview event on Wednesday afternoon. I talked about 22 books releasing between now and September 6th, along with eight from October, that I wanted to get on your radar. You can watch it here and see a list of the featured titles here.
After the taped portion of the show, Tom and I had a brilliant chat with audience members who attended live. We both so enjoy this part of the program, and post-event we also keep tabs on the survey where we ask readers which books they are most interested in reading. We will report the top five books at next month’s presentation. I will share that the number one title has not changed since the first votes came in!
Next month’s “Bookaccino Live” preview event will take place on Wednesday, September 14th at 2pm ET. I will present titles releasing between September 13th and October 4th, plus a few from November, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up. Those attending the live event will be asked to answer a survey about the books from the presentation that they are most interested in reading and will be eligible to win a prize.
We were saddened by the news this week that historian and biographer David McCullough passed away Sunday at the age of 89. McCullough twice received the Pulitzer Prize, for TRUMAN and JOHN ADAMS, and twice received the National Book Award, for THE PATH BETWEEN THE SEAS and MORNINGS ON HORSEBACK. His other acclaimed books include THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD, THE GREAT BRIDGE, 1776, THE GREATER JOURNEY, THE AMERICAN SPIRIT, THE WRIGHT BROTHERS and THE PIONEERS. He was the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian award.
Coincidentally, prior to his passing, it had been announced that McCullough’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, will be reissuing his 1991 book, BRAVE COMPANIONS, in a hardcover edition on September 20th. He was such a gentlemen the few times that I was in his company.
So many readers have been asking Lisa Jewell to revisit the characters from her 2019 thriller, THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS. Although Lisa promised herself that she would never write another sequel after penning AFTER THE PARTY, a follow-up to her debut novel, RALPH’S PARTY, we are happy to report that she has given her fans exactly what they want. The newly released THE FAMILY REMAINS is a jaw-dropping stand-alone sequel about twisted marriages, fractured families and deadly obsessions.
Bronwyn Miller has our review and says, “Lisa Jewell is supremely adept at weaving together seemingly disparate narratives into a story that grabs you from the beginning and refuses to relent until the end…. Chapters alternate narrators and time frames, which can be a bit perplexing at first, but ultimately it heightens the drama of the story. Fans of Shari Lapena and Liane Moriarty will love this taut, twisty thriller about complicated family ties, secrets and murder.”
Also, be sure to check out this interview with Lisa, where she talks about the challenges of writing this much-anticipated follow-up and what she envisions happening to these characters. I have the book here to read. I love that she did a sequel!
Word of Mouth Reminder
We are awarding THE FAMILY REMAINS to the winners of our Word of Mouth contest, along with PROPERTIES OF THIRST by Marianne Wiggins. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read by Friday, August 19th at noon ET, and you’ll have a chance to win both these titles.
Our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight is back, and this time we’re featuring C. J. Carey’s thrilling feminist dystopian novel, WIDOWLAND, which is set in an alternative history that terrifyingly imagines what a British alliance with Germany would look like if the Nazis had won WWII.
Rose Ransom, a member of the privileged Geli class, has an unusual occupation within the Ministry of Culture. She rewrites works of classic literature to make sure there are no subversive feminist thoughts found within. But her work can only go so far. Graffiti made up of seditious lines from banned works have been painted on public buildings in a subtle --- but subversive --- form of protest. Suspicion has fallen on the women of Widowland, a slum to which unmarried women over 50 are banished. Rose, trusted by her superiors, is asked to infiltrate Widowland to find the source of the rebellion. But will she follow through with her commands? Or risk her life to do what is right?
According to our reviewer Rebecca Munro, “Both an Orwellian dystopian novel and a finely crafted thriller set in a surveillance state, WIDOWLAND is a meticulously researched and envisioned work of speculative fiction. C. J. Carey references numerous real-life historical figures and events to ground her work, and the effect is utterly chilling as she asks 'what if?' after 'what if?' questions and proposes various answers, each more horrifying than the last.” We plan to feature our interview with C. J., conducted by Rebecca, in next week’s newsletter.
Wrapping Up Summer Reading --- and a Look Ahead to Fall Preview
We gave away WIDOWLAND this week as this year’s final Summer Reading prize title. Congratulations to the winners of our 19 contests, and many thanks to all who entered!
Our next series of 24-hour giveaways will be our Fall Preview contests. The feature will go live next Friday, August 19th, and our first giveaway will kick off the week of August 22nd. We will have more details next week! If you would like to receive a newsletter announcing each day’s Fall Preview title, click here to sign up for these contest alerts.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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HEAT 2: Michael Mann, the four-time Oscar-nominated writer-director of The Last of the Mohicans, The Insider, Ali, Miami Vice, Collateral and Heat, teams up with Edgar Award-winning author Meg Gardiner to deliver his first novel, an explosive return to the universe and characters of his classic crime film --- with an all-new story unfolding in the years before and after the movie.
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WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME: Gillian McAllister’s new psychological thriller, which is this month’s Reese’s Book Club pick, is about a mother who witnesses her teenage son stab a man and then seizes on an unconventional way to try to save him. Reese says, “This book is SO good.... It’s SUCH a page turner, and it’s the perfect book to round out the summer!" I am looking forward to reading this one.
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MIKA IN REAL LIFE: YA author Emiko Jean’s first novel for adults is August’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick. It’s about motherhood, daughterhood and love --- how we find it, keep it, and how it always returns. Jean told “GMA,” “As a woman of color, growing up in the United States, I didn't see myself in the media I consumed. You can imagine what this must teach a child about their value and worth in the world."
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THE FIFTH ACT: America's End in Afghanistan: Using the dramatic rescue efforts in Kabul as his lattice, Elliot Ackerman weaves a personal history of the Afghan war's long progression, beginning with the initial invasion in the months after 9/11. The book is a play in five acts, the fifth act being the story’s tragic denouement, a prelude to Afghanistan's dark future.
Remember to Vote in Our Poll
Our poll continues to ask which of 25 fiction titles releasing this month you are planning to read. Let us know by clicking here. We LOVE to see what you select!
Out in paperback this week is THE READING LIST by debut novelist Sara Nisha Adams, which garnered a lot of attention when it released in hardcover last August. It also was the most anticipated book among those who attended our “Bookaccino Live” event last July when I first talked about it. The book is now our latest “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest title on ReadingGroupGuides.com, where three readers will win up to 12 copies of the paperback edition for their book group. To enter, all you have to do is fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, September 14th at noon ET.
Thinking about Salman Rushdie...
Our thoughts are with celebrated author Salman Rushdie, who is on a ventilator after being stabbed in the neck and abdomen earlier today. He was scheduled to give a talk at the Chautauqua Institution in Western New York about the United States being a safe haven for exiled writers when the attack occurred. Sadly, according to his agent, Andrew Wylie, “Salman will likely lose one eye; the nerves in his arm were severed; and his liver was stabbed and damaged.” I was so shocked to hear this news and hope he will be able to recover as much as possible.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Marilyn wrote, “Congratulations on your parents’ anniversary. You said it was amazing that they are still crazy about each other after all these years. Wrong --- I bet they love each other and value their time together more than ever. My husband and I have been married 62 years. Yesterday he asked me if I was ready for a second cup of coffee. I said he didn't need to wait on me. His answer: 'I like to wait on you.' He would never have said that 50 years ago.” Marilyn, that sentiment was worth waiting for!
Mary Lou wrote, “OMG you are so quick on your feet. And in your newsletter, you had me in stitches this morning talking about the boxes from your attic and how you saved them for each kid, and each kid could care less. So humorous. And you and Bonnie Garmus, wow, what a fabulous interview! You are both so smart and funny. I always love your interview questions. They are well thought out and trigger great responses from the authors. I had already seen an interview with Bonnie a couple of weeks ago, but decided to check yours out. I didn’t move during the entire hour and seven minutes. But I sure did laugh.
“About the cover of LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY, I agree with you that it is very smart. The problem is, it is only smart in retrospect after the book has been read. Once a person has read it, the little nuances on the cover make sense, like the pencil in the bun. However, I can really see why it would come across as a rom-com before reading it. Thanks so much for keeping me completely entertained this morning. Actually it's already close to 2pm, and I’m still in my jammies. I live alone, so who cares, right? I am looking forward to your online event this Wednesday.”
I Iove that I entertain you, Mary Lou. Interviewing Bonnie was such fun. I hope to get her back for a “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event when the paperback is out next year!
Barbara wrote, “I just read your weekly newsletter and wanted to share that we got a new HVAC system last summer after our AC died, so I can really relate to what you're going through. Also, we can't possibly move because our home is a free storage unit for our adult kids' stuff too.
“But the real reason that I'm writing is that I wanted to share that one of my book clubs is celebrating (not really celebrating, more like acknowledging) Banned Books Week in September by each selecting a book from the list of 100 most banned and/or challenged books, which our leader shared with us. Some were a huge surprise to me. I thought it might be cool if you did a 'Talks To' episode with some authors from this list or talk with book experts like yourself about some of the titles. I totally appreciate the offerings that you provide, especially the 'Talks to' interviews. They are fabulous!”
Hmmm, let me think about how we can handle Banned Books Week with interviews. One of the huge issues right now is how many states are banning books for schools. It is pretty out of control. Oh, and on the subject of asking kids to take their belongings, I tried to entice Cory to bring his Legos to his new apartment, but I did not get an enthusiastic response.
Bonnie from Wisconsin sent this: “Thank you for your wonderful newsletter! Between having your sons’ old school papers, to the air conditioner pooping out, to putting on your skort and swimsuit only to learn of a virtual meeting, I can totally relate!!! Thank you for your humor, as well as your expertise and commitment to readership. Thank you, thank you.” There are times I think I could replace Erma Bombeck with a syndicated column.
Sandy wrote, “I enjoyed reading your newsletter this morning. I spent the week reading FELLOWSHIP POINT. I could not put it down, yet it had to be read slowly in order to get the depth of the beautiful language. We visit Maine every year, and I could imagine the beautiful scenery. Despite the length of the book, I know I will reread it soon.” Sandy, I so understand how you feel! I hate that I have not been able to grab a long period of time to read the last 150 pages. Alice Elliott Dark’s writing is just beautiful, and I find myself pausing to re-read sections. It is a novel worth the length, and I do not often say that.
Annie wrote, “My heart went out to you when I read this week's message. Our son moved in with us when his children were very small, and even after the oldest went off to college and medical school, she just took bits and pieces. She is doing her internship and residency in New York, and I thought she took what was most important to her. We had been on a list to have her room painted and a new floor put in for several months.
“At the end of June, we left to see our other son and his family. Of course, while we were waiting at the airport, the contractor called and said they wanted to do the room the next day. I called my son and grandson, who took everything out. Dear Lord, it filled the family room, and we looked like hoarders. There are still cases of her books she wants us to drive out to her or keep until she comes back to Florida. The room was finished in one day, but my son and grandson thought I might want to go through the stuff, so they left it. She graduated from high school #2 in her class, and there were boxes of awards, etc.
“When I called, she said, 'Grandma, why did you keep all of that?' She did not want to send out announcements when she graduated because she said I probably had already told the entire world, but she did get a few hundred dollars from neighbors and relatives. Every penny was spent on Brandon Sanderson books.”
“I Just Killed My Dad” on Netflix: This three-part documentary was so interesting. Why it happened is not what you would expect!
“Black Bird”: Here is a terrific interview with Dennis Lehane about his show currently airing on Apple TV+.
I loved this line that I read in Morning Brew about Serena Williams: “I always say that I’m a sponge: At night I go to bed and I squeeze myself out so that the next day I can take up as much new information as I can.” I so know that feeling.
Cory and his girlfriend, Kaltrina, are coming for dinner tonight. We are going to do pizza, which is a Friday night staple around here. Greg is headed towards San Jose, where he is going to work for the next week. And Tom is going to Texas for a few days next week, so I must stock up on English muffins, pizza sauce and mozzarella, my dine-alone selection. I made gazpacho this week, but it is lacking the flavors that I would like to be savoring. I think the cucumbers lacked taste, and there needs to be a yellow or orange pepper. It will be doctored this weekend in the blender. Next time I am going to taste each vegetable before I add it. Anyone with a great gazpacho recipe, send it along.
Pulling dead leaves off plants and pool floating will make up the rest of the weekend. I am going to enjoy every second of this glorious weather. We will have our usual discussions about a) Tom lowering the deck and making it a porch, b) Carol lobbying for a hot tub, and c) Carol and Tom not agreeing on where said hot tub would go. Anyone married for a while completely understands these ongoing bantering of ideas. For the record, ours on these topics has been going on for about 10 years now with no progress.
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 & Interview:
THE FAMILY REMAINS by Lisa Jewell
THE FAMILY REMAINS is a stand-alone sequel to Lisa Jewell’s 2019 thriller, THE FAMILY UPSTAIRS, an intricate and affecting novel about twisted marriages, fractured families and deadly obsessions. In this interview, Jewell explains some of the challenges she faced in writing this much-anticipated follow-up (which so many of her readers were asking for) and what excited her the most about it. She also talks about the character whose development surprised her the most from the first book to the second, reveals her ideal future for the Lambs and Rachel, and previews her next novel, which is very different from THE FAMILY REMAINS.
THE FAMILY REMAINS by Lisa Jewell (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Dominic Thorburn, Bea Holland, Hugh Quarshie, Josh Dylan, Thomas Judd and Eleanor Tomlinson
DCI Samuel Owusu is called to the scene of a gruesome discovery and learns the bones are connected to a cold case that left three people dead 30 years ago. Rachel Rimmer’s husband, Michael, has been found dead in his cellar. The French police need Rachel to answer questions about Michael and his past that she very much doesn’t want to answer. After fleeing London 30 years ago in the wake of a horrific tragedy, Lucy Lamb is coming home. While she settles in with her children and is just about to purchase their first-ever house, her brother takes off to find the boy from their shared past whose memory haunts their present. As they all race to discover answers to these convoluted mysteries, they will come to find that they’re connected in ways they never could have imagined. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Read our review and the interview.
Featured Review:
HEAT 2 by Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner
HEAT 2 by Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Peter Giles
Described by Michael Mann as both a prequel and sequel to the renowned, critically acclaimed movie of the same name, HEAT 2 covers the formative years of homicide detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) and elite criminals Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro), Chris Shiherlis (Val Kilmer) and Nate (Jon Voight). Ranging from the streets of L.A. to the inner sancta of rival Taiwanese crime syndicates in Paraguay to a massive drug cartel money-laundering operation just over the border in Mexico, this new story illuminates the dangerous workings of international crime organizations and the agents who pursue them as it provides a full-blooded portrait of the men and women who inhabit both worlds. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
New Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight:
WIDOWLAND by C. J. Carey
WIDOWLAND by C. J. Carey (Alternate History/Dystopian Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Esther Wane
London, 1953. Thirteen years have passed since England surrendered to the Nazis and formed a Grand Alliance with Germany. It was forced to adopt many of its oppressive ideologies, one of which was the strict classification of women into hierarchical groups based on the perceived value they brought to society.
Rose Ransom, a member of the privileged Geli class, remembers life from before the war but knows better than to let it show. She works for the Ministry of Culture, rewriting the classics of English literature to ensure there are no subversive thoughts that will give women any ideas.
Outbreaks of insurgency have been seen across the country with graffiti made up of seditious lines from forbidden works by women painted on public buildings. Suspicion has fallen on Widowland, the run-down slums where childless women over 50 have been banished. Rose is given the dangerous task of infiltrating Widowland to find the source of the rebellion before the Leader arrives in England for the Coronation ceremony of King Edward VIII and Queen Wallis.
Will Rose follow her instructions and uncover the criminals? Or will she fight for what she knows in her heart is right?
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read our review.
Click here to read more in our Suspense/Thriller Author Spotlight.
Don't miss our interview with C. J. Carey in next week's newsletter.
Featured Review:
WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME by Gillian McAllister
Reese’s Book Club Pick for August
WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME by Gillian McAllister (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Lesley Sharp
Late October. After midnight. You’re waiting up for your 17-year-old son. He’s late. As you watch from the window, he emerges, and you realize he isn’t alone: he’s walking toward a man, and he’s armed. You can’t believe it when you see him do it: your funny, happy teenage son kills a stranger, right there on the street outside your house. You don’t know who. You don’t know why. You only know your son is now in custody. His future shattered. That night you fall asleep in despair. All is lost. Until you wake...and it is yesterday. And then you wake again...and it is the day before yesterday. Every morning you wake up a day earlier, another day before the murder. With another chance to stop it. Somewhere in the past lies an answer. The trigger for this crime --- and you don’t have a choice but to find it. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to visit the Reese's Book Club website.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: MIKA IN REAL LIFE by Emiko Jean
August’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick
MIKA IN REAL LIFE by Emiko Jean (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Sura Siu and Andi Arndt
At 35, Mika Suzuki is at the lowest point of her life when she receives a phone call from Penny, the daughter she placed for adoption 16 years ago. Penny is determined to forge a relationship with her birth mother; in turn, Mika longs to be someone Penny is proud of. Faced with her own inadequacies, Mika embellishes a fact about her life. What starts as a tiny white lie slowly snowballs into a fully fledged fake life. The harder-won heart belongs to Thomas Calvin, Penny’s adoptive widower father. What starts as a rocky, contentious relationship slowly blossoms into a friendship and, over time, something more. But can Mika really have it all --- love, her daughter, the life she’s always wanted --- or will her deceptions ultimately catch up to her? Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- 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: THE FIFTH ACT by Elliot Ackerman
THE FIFTH ACT: America's End in Afghanistan by Elliot Ackerman (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Elliot Ackerman
Elliot Ackerman left the American military 10 years ago, but his time in Afghanistan and Iraq with the Marines and later as a CIA paramilitary officer marked him indelibly. When the Taliban began to close in on Kabul in August 2021 and the Afghan regime began its death spiral, he found himself pulled back into the conflict. Afghan nationals who had worked closely with the American military and intelligence communities for years now faced brutal reprisal and sought frantically to flee the country with their families. With former colleagues and friends protecting the airport in Kabul, Ackerman joined an impromptu effort by a group of journalists and other veterans to arrange flights and negotiate with both Taliban and American forces to secure the safe evacuation of hundreds. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Our Latest "What's Your Book Group Reading
This Month?" Contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Enter to Win Up to 12 Paperback Copies of
THE READING LIST by Sara Nisha Adams for Your Group
Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" feature, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win up to 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. Note: To be eligible to win, let us know the title of the book that YOUR book group is CURRENTLY reading, NOT the title we are giving away.
Our latest prize book is THE READING LIST by Sara Nisha Adams, which is now available in paperback. This unforgettable and heartwarming debut novel is about how a chance encounter with a list of library books helps forge an unlikely friendship between two very different people in a London suburb. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Wednesday, September 14th at noon ET.
THE READING LIST by Sara Nisha Adams (Fiction)
Widower Mukesh lives a quiet life after losing his beloved wife. Aleisha is a bright but anxious teenager working at the local library for the summer when she discovers a crumpled-up piece of paper in the back of TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. It’s a list of novels that she’s never heard of before. Intrigued, and a little bored with her slow job at the checkout desk, she impulsively decides to read every book on the list, one after the other. As each story gives up its magic, the books transport Aleisha from the painful realities she’s facing at home. When Mukesh arrives at the library, desperate to forge a connection with his bookworm granddaughter, Aleisha passes along the reading list…hoping that it will be a lifeline for him too.
Bookreporter.com's 18th Annual
Summer Reading Feature
All summer long, we at Bookreporter.com have been sharing some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Feature. While our series of 24-hour contests have ended, we encourage you to take a look at our featured titles for some sizzling summer reading ideas.
This year’s featured titles are:
- Click here to see the winners of this year's Summer Reading contests.
Click here to learn more about our featured titles.
BARK TO THE FUTURE: A Chet & Bernie Mystery by Spencer Quinn (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Jim Frangione
When Chet the dog and his human partner, PI Bernie Little, are approached by a down-and-out older man with a cardboard sign at an exit ramp, Bernie is shocked to discover the man is a former teammate from his high school baseball team. Chet and Bernie take Rocket out for a good meal, and later, Bernie investigates Rocket’s past, trying to figure out what exactly went wrong. Then, Rocket goes suspiciously missing. Bernie goes back to his old high school for answers, where much that he remembers turns out not to be true --- and there are powerful and dangerous people not happy with the questions Bernie is asking. Now, Chet and Bernie are plunged into a dangerous case where the past isn’t dead and the future could be fatal. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
STAY AWAKE by Megan Goldin (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Imogen Church and January LaVoy
Liv Reese wakes up in the back of a taxi with no idea where she is or how she got there. When she’s dropped off at the door of her brownstone, a stranger answers --- a stranger who claims to live in her apartment. Her hands are covered in scribbled messages, like graffiti on her skin: STAY AWAKE. Two years ago, Liv was thriving as a successful writer for a trendy magazine. Now, she’s lost and disoriented in a New York City that looks nothing like what she remembers. She’s horrified to see news reports of a crime scene where the victim’s blood has been used to scrawl a message across a window, similar to the message that’s inked on her hands. What did she do last night? And why does she remember nothing from the past two years? Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
KOSHERSOUL: The Faith and Food Journey of an African American Jew by Michael W. Twitty (Cooking/History)
Audiobook available, read by Michael W. Twitty
In KOSHERSOUL, Michael W. Twitty considers the marriage of two of the most distinctive culinary cultures in the world today: the foods and traditions of the African Atlantic and the global Jewish diaspora. To Twitty, the creation of African-Jewish cooking is a conversation of migrations and a dialogue of diasporas offering a rich background for inventive recipes and the people who create them. The question that most intrigues him is not just who makes the food, but how the food makes the people. Jews of Color are not outliers, Twitty contends, but significant and meaningful cultural creators in both Black and Jewish civilizations. The book also explores how food has shaped the journeys of numerous cooks, including Twitty’s own passage to and within Judaism. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
I REMEMBER YOU by Brian Freeman (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Carlotta Brentan
On the Fourth of July, Hallie Evers dies at a rooftop party in Las Vegas. Hours later, she wakes up in the hospital, disoriented but alive. Why can’t she find the doctor who revived her? Why do her memories feel both foreign and familiar? Her self-doubt spirals into crippling paranoia. Hallie knows that mental illness runs in her family. But now even Hallie’s dreams are fraught with details that seem like more than imagination --- vivid images of a city she remembers but has never visited in her life. As she embarks on a cross-country search for answers, Hallie catches glimpses of what feel like another person’s memories. It’s a dark, horrifying, tragic vision…of someone else’s murder. But is any of it real? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE NEIGHBORHOOD by Matthew Betley (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by George Newbern
Welcome to Hidden Refuge, a normal American subdivision full of normal American suburbanites. At least that's what the citizens thought before men impersonating police officers show up on their doorsteps in the middle of the night. Once the entire community is under siege, so begins a long, dark night that will prove to be anything but ordinary. But Zack Chambers, suburban family man and programmer by trade, has his own secret. One he had dearly hoped that he’d never need to use again. The deadly ex–CIA agent and trained operative plots to take back the night, doing whatever it takes to protect his neighborhood. In the face of a small army of trained killers, he has his wits, his babysitter, his equally lethal brother and a ragtag group of neighbors willing to help. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE WILD HUNT by Emma Seckel (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Ruth Urquhart
Leigh Welles has not set foot on the island in years. But when she finds herself called home from life on the Scottish mainland by her father’s unexpected death, she is determined to forget the sorrows of the past and start fresh. Fellow islander Iain MacTavish, a RAF veteran with his eyes on the sky and his head in the past, is also in desperate need of a new beginning. But this October, the sluagh are restless. The ominous, birdlike creatures of Celtic legend --- whispered to carry the souls of the dead --- have haunted the islanders for decades, but in the war’s wake, there are more wandering souls and more sluagh. When a young man disappears, Leigh and Iain are thrown together to investigate the truth at the island’s dark heart and reveal hidden secrets of their own. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
THE DEAL GOES DOWN by Larry Beinhart (Noir Mystery/Thriller)
Ex-private eye Tony Cassella lives in the Catskill mountains, a lonely old tough guy whose body can no longer do what it once did. But a chance encounter with a rich young woman on a train changes everything. He is hired to take care of her superrich, sexual predator husband. That job leads to others, and he joins a small start-up whose mission is to save women from abusive marriages. Provided their spouses are in the top 0.01%. It's a luxury service destined to make great profits. But an old, angry associate is determined to get his cut of Tony’s earnings, murky government agents start to tail him, and when he is sent to the Austrian alps to kill a Russian oligarch and rescue his American wife, all hell breaks loose. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
- Click here to read an interview with Larry Beinhart.
THE BIRDCAGE by Eve Chase (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Taj Atwall and Aurora Dawson-Hunte
When half-sisters Kat, Flora and Lauren are unexpectedly summoned to Rock Point, their wild and remote Cornish summer home, it's not a welcome invitation. They haven't been back since that fateful summer 20 years ago --- a summer they're desperate to forget. But when they arrive, it's clear they're not alone. Someone is lurking in the shadows, watching their every move. Someone who remembers exactly what they did. Will the sisters be able to protect the dark past of Rock Point? Or are some secrets too powerful to remain under lock and key? Reviewed by Christine M. Irvin.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on August 15th and 16th
Below are some notable titles releasing on August 15th and 16th 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 August 15th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
August 15th
DIANA, WILLIAM, AND HARRY: The Heartbreaking Story of a Princess and Mother by James Patterson and Chris Mooney (Biography)
"She was the best mother in the world," said Princes William and Harry at Diana’s 10-year memorial. DIANA, WILLIAM, AND HARRY is the first big book not about Diana as a princess and celebrity, but as a mother.
August 16th
ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE by Ashley Flowers (Mystery/Thriller)
In this propulsive debut novel from the host of the #1 true crime podcast "Crime Junkie," a journalist uncovers her hometown’s dark secrets when she becomes obsessed with the unsolved murder of her childhood neighbor --- and the disappearance of another girl 20 years later.
THE CHALLENGE by Danielle Steel (Fiction)
In this thrilling novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel, a small community is tested when their children go missing while exploring a dangerous local peak, forcing them to band together during the crisis.
ELIZABETH FINCH by Julian Barnes (Fiction)
From the bestselling, award-winning author of THE SENSE OF AN ENDING comes a magnetic tale that centers on the presence of a vivid and particular woman, whose loss becomes the occasion for a man’s deeper examination of love, friendship and biography.
THE HOUSEKEEPER by Joy Fielding (Domestic Thriller)
A woman hires a housekeeper to care for her aging parents --- only to watch as she takes over their lives --- in this riveting novel from New York Times bestselling author Joy Fielding.
OVERKILL by Sandra Brown (Thriller)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown delivers a riveting thriller in which a conflict of conscience for a former football star and an ambitious state prosecutor swiftly intensifies into a fight for their lives.
RAISING LAZARUS: Hope, Justice, and the Future of America's Overdose Crisis by Beth Macy (Business & Economics/Pharmaceutical & Biotechnology)
RAISING LAZARUS is a “deeply reported, deeply moving” (Patrick Radden Keefe) account of everyday heroes fighting on the front lines of the overdose crisis, from the New York Times bestselling author of DOPESICK (the inspiration for the Peabody Award-winning Hulu limited series) and FACTORY MAN.
ROOM AND BOARD by Miriam Parker (Fiction)
This charming and redemptive novel is about unexpected second chances, following a publicist who, after the sudden implosion of her career, takes a job as a dorm mom at a Sonoma boarding school that happens to be her alma mater.
TOUCH by Olaf Olafsson (Fiction)
TOUCH is a mesmerizing, panoramic story of one man’s search to find a lover who suddenly disappeared decades before.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Sandra Brown, Julian Barnes, Ashley Flowers
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, August 15th at 8pm ET: Random House: Join Random House Group and Brain Lair Books to celebrate ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE, the propulsive debut from Ashley Flowers, the creator and host of the #1 true crime podcast “Crime Junkie.” The conversation will be moderated by Crime by the Book’s Abby Endler.
Monday, August 15th at 8pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's will host Mary Dixie Carter as she discusses her debut novel, THE PHOTOGRAPHER (which releases in paperback this month), with Gregg Hurwitz.
Tuesday, August 16th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author Sandra Brown for a live virtual event to celebrate the release of OVERKILL as part of their B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. She will be in conversation with internationally bestselling author Kathy Reichs.
Wednesday, August 17th at 3pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's, in partnership with Book Passage, Books, Inc., Copperfield’s and Skylight Books, will host Julian Barnes as he discusses his new book, ELIZABETH FINCH.
"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 are our latest interviews:
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Bonnie Garmus (LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY) Video | Podcast
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Casey Sherman (HELLTOWN: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod)
Video | Podcast
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Scott Shepherd (SHOULD I FALL)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: August Fiction Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following fiction titles releasing in August are you planning to read? Please check all that apply.
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BABYSITTER by Joyce Carol Oates
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BLACK DOG: A Stone Barrington Novel, by Stuart Woods
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CARRIE SOTO IS BACK by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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DAISY DARKER by Alice Feeney
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THE FAMILY REMAINS by Lisa Jewell
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FOX CREEK by William Kent Krueger
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GANGLAND by Chuck Hogan
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GIRL, FORGOTTEN by Karin Slaughter
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HAVEN by Emma Donoghue
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HEAT 2 by Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner
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THE HUNT: A Decker/Lazarus Novel, by Faye Kellerman
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THE INK BLACK HEART: A Cormoran Strike Novel, by Robert Galbraith
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THE LAST WHITE MAN by Mohsin Hamid
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THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY by Jamie Ford
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MERCURY PICTURES PRESENTS by Anthony Marra
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MIKA IN REAL LIFE by Emiko Jean
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OTHER BIRDS by Sarah Addison Allen
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OVERKILL by Sandra Brown
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PROPERTIES OF THIRST by Marianne Wiggins
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RECKONING: An FBI Thriller, by Catherine Coulter
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THANK YOU FOR LISTENING by Julia Whelan
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WHAT SHE FOUND by Robert Dugoni
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WHEN WE WERE BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL by Jillian Medoff
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WIDOWLAND by C. J. Carey
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WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME by Gillian McAllister
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, August 19th 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 August 5th to August 19th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE FAMILY REMAINS by Lisa Jewell and PROPERTIES OF THIRST by Marianne Wiggins.
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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