November 18, 2022

November 18, 2022

Mocktails

Last Friday night, Tom and I went out to dinner and had a great mocktail. I am not a big drinker, but give me some concoction with ginger beer and it’s like when I was seven and I got a Shirley Temple. Then it was all about the fancy straw and the parasol. Now, I became obsessed with the copper cup that the drink was served in --- the hammered copper cup.

You would think I was looking for the Holy Grail all week as I scrolled around searching for “the one like in the restaurant.” I texted a photo of the cups above to Tom, and he said they looked like “the ones from the restaurant”; this may just be, so I would not ask him to look at more pictures of them. And, hey, these have cool straws too. The trick is to get them in the freezer so the cups are chilled, as well as the drink. Now I need to make room in the freezer for them.

I also bought prickly pear cactus, elderflower and spiced brown sugar mixers. You would think I was turning into the mocktail bartender. Well, indeed, perhaps I am! Last week’s drink had ginger beer, prickly pear, a slice of dried apple and a sprig of rosemary. Now I must read up on how to dry apples. We luckily still have rosemary.

Beyond this, it’s been a busy work week. Today we hosted our 11 ½ Annual Book Group Speed Dating event, which once again was a success. We will be sharing more about this with you in the weeks ahead. There were terrific presentations from nine publishers, and the book selections were great! 

My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Clare Mackintosh, whose newly released thriller, THE LAST PARTY, we reviewed last week and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. This blend of police procedural and psychological thriller is set on the border of England and Wales. Each country has a lot of national pride at stake when a crime happens across the border.

As Clare was writing, she realized that this would be the start of a three-book series featuring Detective Constable Ffion Morgan. She writes from multiple points of view and timelines, and discusses what drew her to write in that style and flesh out so many characters. We both love to swim, though I hand the cold water sans wetsuit swims over to Clare! Click here to watch the video and here to listen to the podcast. And don’t miss my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.

THE TWIST OF A KNIFE is Anthony Horowitz’s fourth literary whodunit following THE WORD IS MURDER, THE SENTENCE IS DEATH and A LINE TO KILL. This time, Horowitz becomes the prime suspect in a murder investigation --- and only one man can prove his innocence: his newly estranged partner in solving crime, ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne.

Ray Palen has our review and says, “Once again, Anthony Horowitz is a scarily talented individual whose skills know no boundaries. THE TWIST OF A KNIFE is an enjoyable read made all the more memorable by the highly realistic theatrical setting of this always engaging mystery.”

Voting is now underway for the 14th Annual Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book awards decided by readers. Two rounds of voting are open to all registered Goodreads members, with the opening round ending on November 27th. Click here to cast your votes in 17 different genre categories, and check out the voting schedule here. The winners will be announced on December 8th.

News & Pop Culture

Reader Mail: Thanks to all who agreed that Replacements was the place for me to get a new knife. I love the idea of sending them a photo of the missing knife. I still have not given up on finding it here in the house. I know, I do have dreams.

“CBS Mornings”: In this clip, Patti Smith shares some of her treasured and nostalgic possessions with Anthony Mason as they discuss her new book of photographs, A BOOK OF DAYS, which we plan to review next week.

“Good Morning America”: Danielle Steel talked to Robin Roberts about her new novel, THE WHITTIERS, which is about a family finding its way back to each other after tragedy. You can watch the interview here.

“Fleishman Is in Trouble” on Hulu: This series definitely tracks Taffy Brodesser-Akner's book, and it's pretty funny. I still see Claire Danes and think “Homeland.”

“The Crown” on Netflix: Yes, we finished the current season this week. Now I need to quiz Greg on what is really true.

“Yellowstone” on Paramount Network: I just want to say that when there was a medical emergency on the show last week, I would have told them to “send the chopper” instead of jumping in the car. Just saying. It would have been a great use of the line. I learned today from Deadline.com that it "earned the distinction of being the most watched show across all of TV in 2022 and the most watched cable premiere since 2017’s 'The Walking Dead.'”

I am reading --- and really enjoying --- SIGNAL FIRES by Dani Shapiro. I am about a third of the way in, and I keep wanting to go look at the night sky. If you have read it, you will know what I mean.

This weekend will be round one of hunt and gather for the holiday. Tom and I will head to the farmers' market on Sunday morning to start, and I am making cranberry sauce on Sunday afternoon. Oh, but that would mean that we had finalized the menu, or even talked about the menu. I know turkey; Greg is picking up a fresh-killed one on Saturday, which means we will need a turkey breast as the hormone-free fresh-killed turkeys have no breast meat. And I do like white meat.

In my massive cleanup of boxes of the kids’ preschool and kindergarten art and writing, I found a menu from around 1997 when we served sorbet as a palate cleanser during part of our Thanksgiving dinner. I am now trying to decide if I want to revive this as a concept, or if everyone will think I am daft. Let’s get real; if I think I have the right glasses to serve it in, it just might be happening, taking the right cup for the right thing full circle!

Our friend Cathy, aka Desilu, and I made a really fun flower arrangement for Betsy Prioleau when we went to dinner at her house in Charleston. We used a white pumpkin as the vase, an idea that she had come up with. It was so much fun to do that I bought three white pumpkins in which to arrange flowers for the holiday.

Next week's newsletter will be coming on Wednesday, not Friday, so the staff can enjoy the holiday weekend.

Read on, and have a great five days.

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: THE TWIST OF A KNIFE
by Anthony Horowitz

THE TWIST OF A KNIFE by Anthony Horowitz (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Rory Kinnear
Reluctant author Anthony Horowitz tells ex-detective Daniel Hawthorne that after three books, he’s splitting and their deal is over. Anthony’s new play, a thriller called "Mindgame," is about to open at the Vaudeville Theater in London’s West End. Not surprisingly, Hawthorne declines a ticket to the opening night. The play is panned by the critics. In particular, Sunday Times critic Harriet Throsby gives it a savage review, focusing particularly on the writing. The next day, Throsby is stabbed in the heart with an ornamental dagger, which turns out to belong to Anthony and has his fingerprints all over it. Anthony is arrested by an old enemy, Detective Inspector Cara Grunshaw, who is out for revenge. When a second theater critic is found to have died under mysterious circumstances, the net closes in. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review:
NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO PANIC
by Kevin Wilson

NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO PANIC by Kevin Wilson (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Ginnifer Goodwin
Sixteen-year-old Frankie Budge is determined to make it through yet another summer in Coalfield, Tennessee, when she meets Zeke, a talented artist who has just moved into his grandmother’s house. Romantic and creative sparks begin to fly, and when the two jointly make an unsigned poster, it becomes unforgettable to anyone who sees it. The edge is a shantytown filled with gold seekers. We are fugitives, and the law is skinny with hunger for us. The posters begin appearing everywhere, and people wonder who is behind them and start to panic. Twenty years later, Frances Eleanor Budge gets a call that threatens to upend her carefully built life: a journalist named Mazzy Brower is writing a story about the Coalfield Panic of 1996. Might Frances know something about that? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: NUMBER ONE IS WALKING
by Steve Martin, drawings by Harry Bliss

NUMBER ONE IS WALKING: My Life in the Movies and Other Diversions written by Steve Martin, drawings by Harry Bliss (Memoir)
Steve Martin has never written about his career in the movies before. In NUMBER ONE IS WALKING, he teams up with New Yorker cartoonist Harry Bliss to produce an illustrated memoir in which he shares anecdotes from the sets of his beloved films --- Father of the Bride, Roxanne, The Jerk, Three Amigos and many more --- bringing readers directly into his world. He shares charming tales of antics, moments of inspiration, and exploits with the likes of Paul McCartney, Diane Keaton, Robin Williams and Chevy Chase. Martin details his 40 years in the movie biz, as well as his stand-up comedy, banjo playing, writing and cartooning, all with his unparalleled wit. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan (www.RonKaplansBaseballBookshelf.com).

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Bookreporter.com Bets On:
SECLUDED CABIN SLEEPS SIX by Lisa Unger

Featured Reviews: THE FALL OF NÚMENOR
by J. R. R. Tolkien, edited by Brian Sibley
and with illustrations by Alan Lee

Featured Review: GALATEA by Madeline Miller

GALATEA: A Short Story by Madeline Miller (Historical Fiction)
In ancient Greece, a skilled marble sculptor has been blessed by a goddess who has given his masterpiece --- the most beautiful woman the town has ever seen --- the gift of life. After marrying her, he expects Galatea to please him, to be obedience and humility personified. But she has desires of her own and yearns for independence. In a desperate bid by her obsessive husband to keep her under control, Galatea is locked away under the constant supervision of doctors and nurses. But with a daughter to rescue, she is determined to break free, whatever the cost. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: LOOK BOTH WAYS by Linwood Barclay

LOOK BOTH WAYS by Linwood Barclay (Thriller)
The media have descended on Garrett Island, a small, isolated community that is the setting of a visionary experiment. All the residents’ cars were sent to the mainland, and for the past month the islanders have been “driving” the Arrival, a revolutionary autonomous vehicle. With a simple voice command, an Arrival will take you wherever you want to go. As the excitement reaches a fever pitch, public relations executive Sandra Montrose prepares for Arrival Inc.’s flashy press event. But as the celebratory day gets underway, disaster strikes. A visiting journalist has vanished, possibly murdered. Before long, the Arrivals run amok, no longer taking orders from their passengers. They’re starting to organize. They’re beginning to hunt. And they seem hell-bent on killing any human they encounter. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to visit Linwood Barclay's website.

Click here to read our review.

Bookreporter.com's
Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature

At Bookreporter.com, we kick off the holiday season in style with our Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature. As our gift to you, on select days in November and December, we are spotlighting a book and giving five lucky readers the chance to win it. You have to visit the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter the 24-hour contest. As always, we are sending our special Holiday Cheer newsletter on the days when there are contests. Click here to sign up for these email alerts.

Our next prize book will be announced on Monday, November 21st at noon ET.

This year's contest titles are:

• THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT by Debbie Macomber
• THE LIGHT PIRATE by Lily Brooks-Dalton
• MARPLE: Twelve New Mysteries by Agatha Christie and various authors
• OUR MISSING HEARTS by Celeste Ng
• THE QUEEN: Her Life by Andrew Morton
• A QUILT FOR CHRISTMAS: A Christmas Novella by Melody Carlson
• WEALTH MANAGEMENT by Edward Zuckerman
• A WISH FOR WINTER by Viola Shipman

Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.

More Reviews This Week

THE LAST CAMPAIGN: Sherman, Geronimo and the War for America by H. W. Brands (History)
Audiobook available, read by Christopher Grove
William Tecumseh Sherman and Geronimo were keen strategists and bold soldiers, ruthless with their enemies. Over the course of the 1870s and 1880s, these two war chiefs would confront each other in the final battle for what the American West would be: a sparsely settled, wild home where Indian tribes could thrive, or a more densely populated extension of the America to the east of the Mississippi. When Sherman rose to commanding general of the Army, he was tasked with bringing Geronimo and his followers onto a reservation where they would live as farmers and ranchers and roam no more. But Geronimo preferred to fight. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

THE LINDBERGH NANNY by Mariah Fredericks (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Penelope Rawlins
When Charles Lindbergh, Jr. is kidnapped from his family home in New Jersey in 1932, the case makes international headlines. Already celebrated for his flight across the Atlantic, his father, Charles, Sr., is the country’s golden boy, with his wealthy, lovely wife, Anne Morrow Lindbergh, by his side. But there’s someone else in their household --- Betty Gow, a Scottish immigrant now known around the world as the Lindbergh Nanny. Far from home and bruised from a love affair gone horribly wrong, Betty finds comfort in caring for Charlie and warms to the attentions of handsome sailor Henrik. Then Charlie disappears. Suddenly a suspect in the eyes of both the media and the public, Betty must find the truth about what really happened that night. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

THE BANNED BOOKSHOP OF MAGGIE BANKS by Shauna Robinson (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Imani Jade Powers
When Maggie Banks arrives in Bell River to run her best friend's struggling bookstore, she expects to sell bestsellers to her small-town clientele. But Bell River's literary society insists on keeping the bookstore stuck in the past, and Maggie is banned from selling anything written this century. So when a series of mishaps suddenly tip the bookstore toward ruin, Maggie will have to get creative to keep the shop afloat. To help save the store, Maggie starts an underground book club, running a series of events celebrating the books readers actually love. But keeping the club quiet, selling forbidden books and dodging the literary society is nearly impossible. Especially when Maggie unearths a town secret that could upend everything. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

CHUCK BERRY: An American Life by RJ Smith (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Phil Morris
Best known as the groundbreaking artist behind classics like “Johnny B. Goode,” “Maybellene,” “You Never Can Tell” and “Roll Over Beethoven,” Chuck Berry was a man of wild contradictions, whose motives and motivations were often shrouded in mystery. After all, how did a teenage delinquent come to write so many songs that transformed American culture? And, once he achieved fame and recognition, why did he put his career in danger with a lifetime’s worth of reckless personal behavior? Throughout his life, Berry refused to shed light on either the mastery or the missteps, leaving the complexity that encapsulated his life and underscored his music largely unexplored --- until now. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

THEY'RE GOING TO LOVE YOU by Meg Howrey (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Meg Howrey
Throughout her childhood, Carlisle Martin got to see her father, Robert, for only a few precious weeks a year when she visited the brownstone apartment in Greenwich Village he shared with his partner, James. Brilliant but troubled, James gave Carlisle an education in all that he held dear in life. Seduced by the heady pull of mentorship and hoping to follow in the footsteps of her mother, Carlisle’s aspiration to become a professional ballet dancer bloomed. However, a passionate love affair created a rift between the family, with shattering consequences that reverberated for decades to come. Nineteen years later, when Carlisle receives a phone call that unravels the events of that fateful summer, she sees with new eyes how her younger self has informed the woman she’s become. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

FLIGHT RISK: A Booking Agents Novel by Cherie Priest (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Ulka Simone Mohanty and Timothy Andrés Pabon
When psychic travel agent Leda Foley is approached by a man searching for his sister, she quickly agrees to help. The missing woman disappeared with a vintage orange car, a fat sack of her employer’s cash, and a grudge against her philandering husband --- a man who never even reported her missing. Meanwhile, Seattle PD detective Grady Merritt has temporarily misplaced his dog. While he’s passing out bright pink “Lost” flyers at the Mount Rainier visitor’s center, the wayward pooch appears --- with a human leg in his mouth. Thanks to DNA matching, Grady learns that the leg has something to do with Leda’s new client, and soon the two cases are tangled. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.

DOOMED LEGACY: A Rick Cahill Novel by Matt Coyle (Hard-boiled Mystery/Thriller)
Private investigator Rick Cahill has been running from his past and chasing the truth his whole life. But his past is relentless --- and so is his CTE, a disease caused by repeated head traumas that has attacked his body and his mind. As Rick struggles to keep his family together, he does a favor for Sara Bhandari, a business contact. Then Sara is murdered, and the police believe her to be yet another victim of a serial rapist who has been terrorizing greater San Diego. But Rick has reason to question their theory. Determined to find the truth at any cost, and against his wife’s warnings, he investigates on his own. Along the way, he bumps up against a sinister private investigative agency and a shady shell corporation that may be hiding more than company secrets. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.

- Click here to read our interview with Matt Coyle.

DEAD WRONG: A Dan Shields Mystery by Mark L. Dressler (Mystery)
Detective Dan Shields is rudely awakened in the middle of the night and responds to a report of two dead people at the Hartford City College radio station. Student DJ Gordon Gunderson's late Sunday evening jazz show ends abruptly. Listeners hear nothing but dead air. His death is an apparent drug overdose, but the other victim, security guard Christine Kole, appears to have been brutally murdered. The last text message on Gordon's cell phone leads Dan down a path of lies and deceptions. Adding to the detective's case load are the Halloween killings of two men, both costumed as Batman. The late-night shootings occur at different Hartford locations. Are these homicides related, or are they coincidental? Reviewed by Barbara Lipkien Gershenbaum.

Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on November 22nd

Below are some notable titles releasing on November 22nd 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 November 21st, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

ASTRID PARKER DOESN’T FAIL by Ashley Herring Blake (Romantic Comedy)
An interior designer who is never without the perfect plan learns to renovate her love life without one in this new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake, author of DELILAH GREEN DOESN'T CARE.

THE CHOICE: The Dragon Heart Legacy, Book 3 by Nora Roberts (Paranormal Fantasy/Romance)
THE CHOICE is the conclusion of the epic trilogy from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE AWAKENING and THE BECOMING.

A CHRISTMAS MEMORY by Richard Paul Evans (Fiction)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE CHRISTMAS BOX and the Noel Collection comes A CHRISTMAS MEMORY, a poignant, deeply felt novel about loss, grief, the healing power of forgiveness, and the true meaning of the holiday season.

DUNE: THE HEIR OF CALADAN by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson (Science Fiction/Space Opera)
The story that began with Duke Leto Atreides' rise to power, then continued with the consequences of Lady Jessica’s betrayal, will now conclude with Paul becoming the leader that he needs to be on the way to his pivotal role as Muad’Dib.

HUNTING TIME: A Colter Shaw Novel by Jeffery Deaver (Thriller)
The New York Times bestselling master of suspense is back with a riveting thriller, as reward seeker Colter Shaw plunges into the woods and races the clock in a case where nothing is quite what it seems.

NYPD RED 7: THE MURDER SORORITY by Marshall Karp (Mystery/Thriller)
Join the NYPD Red team in their most explosive case ever. The series from James Patterson and Marshall Karp has always been a must-read. But Karp's latest, NYPD RED 7: THE MURDER SORORITY, tops them all, making it a must-read-now!

THE REBEL AND THE THIEF written by Jan-Philipp Sendker, translated by Imogen Taylor (Romance)
From the internationally bestselling author of THE ART OF HEARING HEARTBEATS comes a moving tale of forbidden love and extraordinary courage in the face of disaster.

THE WHITTIERS by Danielle Steel (Fiction)
In this heartwarming novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel, adult siblings find their way back home --- and back to each other --- after loss.

Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.

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, November 21st at 3pm ET: Murder By The Book: Anthony Horowitz will talk to Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello about his new book, THE TWIST OF A KNIFE, his ingenious fourth literary whodunit following THE WORD IS MURDER, THE SENTENCE IS DEATH and A LINE TO KILL.

Monday, November 21st at 7:30pm ET: “Lisa Live!”: Join Lisa Scottoline every Monday night as she hosts her weekly “Talking LOYALTY” video series and Facebook Live events leading up to the publication of her historical novel, LOYALTY, on March 28, 2023. And be sure to enter the LOYALTY Pre-order Sweepstakes!

Wednesday, November 23rd at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": Join the "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry --- for a special Thanksgiving show featuring beloved indie booksellers.

 "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:

• Clare Mackintosh (THE LAST PARTY) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed include:

• Julie Clark (THE LIES I TELL) Video | Podcast
• Alli Frank and Asha Youmans (NEVER MEANT TO MEET YOU) Video | Podcast
• Bonnie Garmus (LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY) Video | Podcast
• Jamie Fiore Higgins (BULLY MARKET: My Story of Money and Misogyny at Goldman Sachs) Video | Podcast
• Jennifer Hillier (THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK) Video | Podcast
• Sally Koslow (THE REAL MRS. TOBIAS) Video | Podcast
• Lynda Cohen Loigman (THE MATCHMAKER'S GIFT) Video | Podcast
• Sarah McCoy (MUSTIQUE ISLAND) Video | Podcast
• Meg Mitchell Moore (VACATIONLAND) Video | Podcast
• Chris Pavone (TWO NIGHTS IN LISBON) Video | Podcast
• Tom Perrotta (TRACY FLICK CAN'T WIN) Video | Podcast
• Kim Michele Richardson (THE BOOK WOMAN'S DAUGHTER) Podcast
• Katie Runde (THE SHORE) Video | Podcast
• Casey Sherman (HELLTOWN: The Untold Story of a Serial Killer on Cape Cod)
  Video | Podcast
• Thrity Umrigar (HONOR) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Scott Shepherd (SHOULD I FALL)

Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.

Our Latest Poll: November and December
Paperbacks to Anticipate

Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, December 2nd at noon ET.

Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What
You're Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!

Click here to enter the contest.

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