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Yesterday, as I interviewed Kate Morton in Australia via Zoom after interviewing Kristin Hannah in Seattle via Zoom on Wednesday night, I thought of how much the life of authors and our relationships with them have changed over the last two decades. And I am not sure if we just take it for granted. Let’s flash back to when you snail-mailed an author via the publisher and typically did not hear back. Or when you had to go to a bookstore or library event to maybe meet an author, and they only traveled to big cities. I could go on and on, but I think every once in a while we want to step back and take a moment to see how our relationships with those who write the books that we love have changed --- and be grateful for that!
As I alluded to, we hosted our latest “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event on Wednesday night. Kristin Hannah joined us to discuss her most recent book, THE FOUR WINDS. Now in paperback, it was an instant #1 New York Times bestseller when it released in hardcover in 2021, a “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club pick, and a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. This rich, sweeping novel stunningly brings to life the Great Depression and the people who lived through it.
Kristin shared her research process, which consists of a year of reading everything she can get her hands on about her chosen topic --- including memoirs --- to give her insight into the time period. She talked about discovering that Elsa was her protagonist, not Elsa’s daughter Loreda, and how that meant abandoning hundreds of pages of writing. And she revealed the very interesting way that she came up with the title of the book. Readers chimed in on and off camera with some excellent questions that made for a robust discussion. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
I am so excited to announce that Laura Dave will be our next “Bookaccino Live” Book Group guest. The event will be held on Tuesday, May 30th at 8pm ET, and you can sign up for it here. We will be talking about Laura’s #1 New York Times bestseller, THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, a Bets On pick that recently released in paperback and is our current “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” prize book on ReadingGroupGuides.com. It also is an Apple TV+ limited series starring Jennifer Garner. I am looking forward to hearing Laura’s thoughts on the show, which she developed with her husband, screenwriter and producer Josh Singer. The finale will release on May 19th, so the timing for our event is perfect!
Just as we did on Wednesday night, there will be a two-part Q&A session after I talk to Laura. For the first part, those who are asking a question “on camera” will be featured. This includes spending time with Laura backstage in our virtual green room before the show starts. If you would like to ask your question "live on screen" this way, please email me with the subject line "Laura" by noon ET on May 30th. Be sure to include your name, city and state, as well as your question. If you do not want to appear on camera but still would like to ask a question, please note that you want to be off camera, and share your question --- adding your name, city and state.
SMALL MERCIES is Dennis Lehane’s first book since 2017’s SINCE WE FELL. Set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston’s history, this wrenching thriller is an all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate and insidious power.
According to our reviewer Ray Palen, “This may be Lehane’s best novel since MYSTIC RIVER. It is proof that he has not lost a bit of his feel for the streets or the pain and suffering of its residents. He takes us right back to the turbulent ’70s and the racial tension in Boston, which is exacerbated by the desegregation of the public school system that will forever change the face of the city. In the middle of all of this is a mother looking for her daughter and seeking revenge in her name. SMALL MERCIES is a book that you will not be able to shake easily.”
Don Winslow continues his City trilogy with the second installment following last year’s CITY ON FIRE. From the shores of Rhode Island to the deserts of California where bodies disappear, from the power corridors of Washington where the real criminals operate to the fabled movie studios of Hollywood where the real money is made, CITY OF DREAMS is a sweeping saga of family, love, revenge, survival and the fierce reality behind the dream.
Ray Palen has this to say in his review: “Don Winslow has such a way with words, which makes the chapters simply fly by. As an educator, I was instantly taken by the dedication he made at the start of the book: 'To teachers: Without you, these books would never be written. Or read.' It is obvious that Winslow had some first-rate instructors. He is one of the best in the business when it comes to crime fiction, and CITY OF DREAMS is no exception.”
HAPPY PLACE is the much-talked-about new rom-com from Emily Henry and is the #1 Indie Next pick for May. In this glittering and wise new novel, a couple who broke up months ago pretend to still be together for their annual weeklong vacation with their best friends.
Here is a preview of Norah Piehl’s review: “At its heart, HAPPY PLACE is a romance that’s practically guaranteed to tug at your heartstrings. But, just as compellingly, it’s also about the necessity of platonic friendships and the deep, heartbreaking pain that can accompany the end or even the evolution of those friendships over time to something less intense but no less important.”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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YOU COULD MAKE THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL: In her lush and heartrending memoir, poet Maggie Smith explores the disintegration of her marriage and her renewed commitment to herself.
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KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW: This is award-winning writer Simon Winchester’s all-encompassing look at how humans acquire, retain and pass on information and data, and how technology continues to change our lives and our minds.
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WITH MY LITTLE EYE: Joshilyn Jackson has penned the hair-raising story of a mother who moves herself and her daughter across the country to lose a dangerous stalker --- only to discover that it will take more than distance to escape him.
Announcing This Year’s Summer Reading Feature
Our Summer Reading contests are back for a 19th(!) year, and will kick off on Tuesday, May 9th at noon ET. On select days through mid-August, we will host a series of 24-hour giveaways and on each of the contest days award five readers a book that we think is a great summer read. You will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also will send a special newsletter to announce the day's title, along with a Summer Reading Preview newsletter on Monday, May 8th. Click here to sign up for these dedicated newsletters and here to take a look at this year’s prize books. We plan to add more titles to the feature in the weeks to come.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
HOMECOMING by Kate Morton, which we reviewed earlier this month and is one of our Summer Reading titles, is my latest Bets On selection. Find out why I’m betting you’ll love this book here. And don't miss my interview with Kate in next week's newsletter.
Our "Books Mom Will Love" Contest
You have until Friday, May 12th at noon ET to enter our Mother's Day contest, where five readers will win 12 fabulous titles for themselves or the mom in their lives. Among them are BURNING DISTANCE by Joanne Leedom-Ackerman, FORGED IN LOVE: Wyoming Sunrise, Book 1 by Mary Connealy, and GO AS A RIVER by Shelley Read. Click here to see all of this year’s Mother’s Day prize books.
Revisiting My “Bookreporter Talks To” Interview with Amanda Eyre Ward
Out in paperback this week is THE LIFEGUARDS by Amanda Eyre Ward, a Bets On pick in which the bonds between three picture-perfect --- but viciously protective --- mothers and their close-knit sons are tested during one unforgettable summer. I talked to Amanda about the book last April when it released in hardcover, so if you missed the interview or would like to revisit it, you can watch it here or listen to the podcast here.
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Let us know by Friday, May 12th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane and THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA by Patti Callahan Henry, the latter of which is May’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. We will feature our reviews of both titles next week.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
In honor of Independent Bookstore Day tomorrow, April 29th (more on that below), our new poll asks if there is an independent bookstore near your home. Click here to let us know.
In our previous poll, we listed 25 titles releasing in paperback in April and asked which of them, if any, you have read or are planning to read. Here are your top five picks: THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LaRUE by V. E. Schwab (27%), THE SUMMER PLACE by Jennifer Weiner (27%), THE GOOD LEFT UNDONE by Adriana Trigiani (27%), GIRL, FORGOTTEN by Karin Slaughter (26%), and TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY by Linwood Barclay (24%). Click here for all the results.
Independent Bookstore Day is a one-day national party that takes place at indie bookstores across the country, and they’re celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. According to their website, “Every store is unique and independent, and every party is different. But in addition to authors, live music, cupcakes, scavenger hunts, kids events, art tables, readings, barbecues, contests, and other fun stuff, there are exclusive books and literary items that you can only get on that day.”
Celeste Ng, this year’s Independent Bookstore Day Ambassador, says, “I love independent bookstores because to me they are centers of community. They are places where I get to meet new people and encounter new ideas in the pages. I always walk out with some idea or some fresh perspective that I hadn’t found before.” On Saturday, Ng will appear on “Good Morning America” to talk about the importance of indie bookstores. Be sure to check out the interview during the 8am–9am ET segment. Click here to read more about this very special day and all the different ways you can celebrate it.
Last night, Mystery Writers of America announced the winners of this year’s Edgar Awards, which honor the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television published or produced in 2022. Among the recipients are NOTES ON AN EXECUTION by Danya Kukafka (Best Novel), DON'T KNOW TOUGH by Eli Cranor (Best First Novel by an American Author), TELL ME EVERYTHING: The Story of a Private Investigation, by Erika Krouse (Best Fact Crime), and OR ELSE by Joe Hart (Best Paperback Original). You can see all the winners here.
We will be hosting our 12th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event on Friday, May 12th at 1pm ET. If you are a librarian, bookseller or book club leader of three or more groups, and would be interested in attending this event, please email me some intel about yourself using the subject line “Speed Dating.” This is a “trade only” event, but we will be sharing the publisher videos, PowerPoint slides and other materials with you later in May.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
As I mentioned earlier, our “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event was such fun this week. Here is what we heard from a few readers. Mary Ann from Ridgeway, SC, said, “Wow! I'm SO glad you provide your expertise! I loved tonight and look forward to next month too!” Paula said, “This was outstanding.” And another Mary Ann said, “I loved hearing Kristin Hannah last evening. She has written several of my favorite books. I love hearing about their writing process. I am looking forward to the next ‘Bookaccino Live’ Book Group.”
Rosalie wrote, “Thank you again for the ARC of THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN. I have just finished it and thoroughly enjoyed it. After reading LOVING FRANK, I knew this would be a good book. Nancy Horan does such a thorough job researching stories, and I look forward to reading the author's notes to find out what was fictional and what was fact. I also will post on Facebook.”
Debbie wrote this in response to winning SYMPHONY OF SECRETS and WITH MY LITTLE EYE in our recent Word of Mouth contest: “Thank you so much for having me as part of Bookreporter. I learn about and read so many of your book recommendations. I enjoy the writers' talks as well. I am very happy to win the books.”
“The Last Thing He Told Me” on Apple TV+: I watched episode four, and it was terrific.
“Ted Lasso” on Apple TV+: We are all caught up!
“Indian Matchmaking” on Netflix: I confess that I watched this latest season. It does amuse me!
“The Diplomat” on Netflix: I have started watching this series after a few friends recommended it. I am half-vested in it.
Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.: This movie adaptation of Judy Blume’s beloved classic released today. I can hear the chanting now: “I must, I must, I must improve my bust.”
Bed Bath & Beyond filed for bankruptcy, and for a moment there was nothing to do with the coupons that we had accumulated through the years. But alas, now we hear that The Container Store and a couple of other places will take them. Yes, we have just a couple of dozen of them to cash in on! HeadButler.com's Jesse Kornbluth found this piece about where the coupons now work.
We are navigating Mercury Retrograde with all of our wits. And we need them all. But oh, besides losing my wallet in the house, I lost my glasses --- and not the five pairs of reading glasses that I have. These were the prescription ones that I wore all day on Sunday. I last remember seeing them on my face; they were found today under the bed, but I swear I looked there three times already. I seriously cannot make this stuff up!
Tomorrow I am going on a yarn store crawl with my friend, Annie. I am allowing myself to buy yarn for a baby blanket and something to make for Cory’s girlfriend’s birthday. I think I should hand Annie my credit card for safekeeping beyond those purchases --- the one that was not in the wallet that I lost! This reminded me of a story I heard years ago from an executive at one of the big ski resorts in Colorado. His wife’s card was stolen, not lost, and the person using it was charging less than his wife. He actually debated whether or not he should tell American Express!
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!
Quick Tech Note: Bookreporter is protected from spam bots and other ridiculous things that try to hack websites by something called Imperva. If you go to the site and see a message that asks you to click "I am not a robot," just know that this is the software being extra cautious. Yes, it's mind-numbing to have to do this, and at least it doesn't happen all the time. But we know you are not robots, so if you could click to tell the software this, that would be great.
Featured Review: SMALL MERCIES by Dennis Lehane
SMALL MERCIES by Dennis Lehane (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Robin Miles
In the summer of 1974, a heat wave blankets Boston, and Mary Pat Fennessy is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of “Southie,” the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition and stands proudly apart. One night, Mary Pat’s teenage daughter, Jules, stays out late and doesn’t come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances. The two events seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a desperate search for her missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched --- asking questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men who work for him. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: CITY OF DREAMS by Don Winslow
CITY OF DREAMS by Don Winslow (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Ari Fliakos
On the losing side of a bloody East Coast crime war, Danny Ryan is now on the run. The Mafia, the cops and the FBI all want him dead or in prison. With his little boy, his elderly father and the tattered remnants of his loyal crew of soldiers, he makes the classic American migration to California to start a new life. But the Feds track him down and want Danny to do them a favor that could make him a fortune --- or kill him. When Hollywood starts shooting a film based on his former life, Danny demands a piece of the action and begins to rebuild his criminal empire. Then he falls in love with a beautiful movie star who has a dark past of her own. As their worlds collide in an explosion that could destroy them both, Danny has to fight for his life in a city where dreams are born. Or where they go to die. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry
May’s #1 Indie Next Pick
HAPPY PLACE by Emily Henry (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan
Harriet and Wyn have been the perfect couple since they met in college. But they broke up five months ago and still haven’t told their best friends. This is how they find themselves sharing a bedroom at the Maine cottage that has been their friend group’s yearly getaway for the last decade. Only this year, Harriet and Wyn are lying through their teeth while trying not to notice how desperately they still want each other. The cottage is for sale, and this is the last week they’ll all have together in this place. They can’t stand to break their friends’ hearts, and so they’ll play their parts. It’s a flawless plan (if you look at it from a great distance and through a pair of sunscreen-smeared sunglasses). After years of being in love, how hard can it be to fake it for one week…in front of those who know you best? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read our review.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's 19th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through mid-August, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our first prize book will be announced on Tuesday, May 9th at noon ET.
This year’s featured titles include:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
Bookreporter.com’s 18th Annual
Mother’s Day Contest: Books Mom Will Love
Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. To celebrate, we're giving you the opportunity to win books for yourself or the special lady in your life in our 18th annual "Books Mom Will Love" contest. From now through Friday, May 12th at noon ET, readers can enter to win one of our five prize packages, which includes 12 great titles that we think moms will love.
This year's prize books are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
HOMECOMING by Kate Morton
HOMECOMING by Kate Morton (Mystery)
It’s been five years since Kate Morton’s last book, so I was thrilled to receive an early copy of HOMECOMING. During the early days of the pandemic in 2020, Kate and her family decided to head to Australia from their house in London, pushing up their planned spring break timing. Now it’s 2023, and they’re still there. Kate was working on another book before they left, but her enthusiasm for that one faded as they found themselves living on a small farm in southern Australia in the Adelaide Hills.
As they were settling in as best they could, the idea of homecoming latched onto Kate’s brain, along with a character named Jess Turner-Bridges. Jess leaves London to go to Australia to care for her grandmother, Nora, who is in rough shape after taking a fall. She finds herself staying in her grandmother’s house where she had been raised. She and her mother, Polly, are estranged.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
Don't miss Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview
with Kate Morton in next week's newsletter.
Featured Review:
YOU COULD MAKE THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL
by Maggie Smith
YOU COULD MAKE THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL: A Memoir by Maggie Smith (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Maggie Smith
In her memoir YOU COULD MAKE THIS PLACE BEAUTIFUL, poet Maggie Smith explores the disintegration of her marriage and her renewed commitment to herself in lyrical vignettes that shine, hard and clear as jewels. The book begins with one woman’s personal, particular heartbreak, but its circles widen into a reckoning with contemporary womanhood, traditional gender roles, and the power dynamics that persist even in many progressive homes. With the spirit of self-inquiry and empathy she’s known for, Smith interweaves snapshots of a life with meditations on secrets, anger, forgiveness and narrative itself. The power of these pieces is cumulative: page after page, they build into a larger interrogation of family, work and patriarchy. Reviewed by Jane T. Krebs.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW by Simon Winchester
KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW: The Transmission of Knowledge: From Ancient Wisdom to Modern Magic by Simon Winchester (History)
Audiobook available, read by Simon Winchester
With the advent of the internet, any topic we want to know about is instantly available with the touch of a smartphone button. With so much knowledge at our fingertips, what is there left for our brains to do? At a time when we seem to be stripping all value from the idea of knowing things --- no need for math, no need for map-reading, no need for memorization --- are we risking our ability to think? As we empty our minds, will we one day be incapable of thoughtfulness? Addressing these questions, Simon Winchester explores how humans have attained, stored and disseminated knowledge. Studded with strange and fascinating details, KNOWING WHAT WE KNOW is a deep dive into learning and the human mind. Throughout this fascinating tour, Winchester forces us to ponder what rational humans are becoming. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: WITH MY LITTLE EYE
by Joshilyn Jackson
WITH MY LITTLE EYE by Joshilyn Jackson (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Maisy Jane, Graham Halstead, Jeremy Arthur, Jesse Vilinsky and Michael Crouch
For actress Meribel Mills, disturbing fan mail is part of the price of fame. So when she starts getting creepy letters written in fruit-scented marker, she is mostly unphased. But there’s something different about Marker Man. Meribel’s sheets smell of unfamiliar cologne, and objects have gone missing around the house. Plus, the letters have become more perverse, with drawings of a naked Meribel tied up or chopped into pieces. She and her daughter move from Los Angeles to Atlanta for a fresh start --- but no distance is great enough. She can feel eyes on her, a creeping sensation like bees inside her skin. And someone definitely has her in their sights. Could Marker Man have followed her all the way across the country? Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
Click here to read our review.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
THE RESCUE by T. Jefferson Parker (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Victoria Villarreal
While reporting on a Tijuana animal shelter, journalist Bettina Blazak falls in love with one of her story’s subjects --- an adorable Mexican street dog who is being treated for a mysterious gunshot wound. Bettina impulsively adopts the dog, who she names Felix after the veterinarian who saved him. In investigating Felix’s past, Bettina discovers that his life is nothing like what she assumed. For one thing, he’s not a Mexican street dog at all. A former DEA drug-sniffing dog, Felix has led a very colorful, dangerous and profitable life. With Bettina’s story going viral, some interesting people are looking for Felix, making him a target --- again. Bettina soon finds herself drawn into a deadly criminal underworld from which she and her beloved dog may not return. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
THE LAST REMAINS: A Ruth Galloway Mystery by Elly Griffiths (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Jane McDowell
When builders discover a human skeleton during a renovation of a café, they call in archaeologist Dr. Ruth Galloway, who is preoccupied with the threatened closure of her department and by her ever-complicated relationship with DCI Nelson. The bones turn out to be the remains of Emily Pickering, a young archaeology student who went missing in 2002. Suspicion soon falls on Emily’s Cambridge tutor and on another archaeology enthusiast who was part of the group gathered the weekend before she disappeared --- Ruth’s friend, Cathbad. As they investigate, Nelson and his team uncover a tangled web of relationships within the archaeology group and look for a link between them and the café where Emily’s bones were found. Then, just when the team seems to be making progress, Cathbad disappears. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
MONSTERS: A Fan's Dilemma by Claire Dederer (Literary Criticism)
Audiobook available, read by Claire Dederer
In this unflinching, deeply personal book that expands on her instantly viral Paris Review essay, "What Do We Do with the Art of Monstrous Men?" Claire Dederer asks: Can we love the work of Hemingway, Polanski, Naipaul, Miles Davis or Picasso? Should we love it? Does genius deserve special dispensation? Is male monstrosity the same as female monstrosity? Does art have a mandate to depict the darker elements of the psyche? And what happens if the artist stares too long into the abyss? She explores the audience's relationship with artists from Woody Allen to Michael Jackson, asking: How do we balance our undeniable sense of moral outrage with our equally undeniable love of the work? In a more troubling vein, she wonders if an artist needs to be a monster in order to create something great. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.
THE LAST ANIMAL by Ramona Ausubel (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Natasha Soudek
Teenage sisters Eve and Vera never imagined their summer vacation would be spent in the Arctic, tagging along on their mother’s scientific expedition. But there’s a lot about their lives lately that hasn’t been going as planned, and their single mother might not be so happy either. Now in Siberia with a bunch of serious biologists, Eve and Vera are just bored enough to cause trouble. Fooling around in the permafrost, they accidentally discover a perfectly preserved, 4,000-year-old baby mammoth. This sets off a surprising chain of events, leading mother and daughters to go rogue, pinging from the slopes of Siberia to the shores of Iceland to an exotic animal farm in Italy, and resulting in the birth of a creature that could change the world --- or at least this family. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
GOING ZERO by Anthony McCarten (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Marin Ireland
Ten Americans have been carefully selected to Beta test a groundbreaking piece of spyware. FUSION can track anyone on earth. But does it work? For one contestant, an unassuming Boston librarian named Kaitlyn Day, the stakes are far higher than money, and her reasons for entering the test more personal than anyone imagines. When the timer hits zero, there will be only one winner. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
THE EDEN TEST by Adam Sternbergh (Domestic Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Carlotta Brentan
Daisy and Craig’s marriage is in serious trouble. That’s why Daisy has signed up for the Eden Test, a week-long getaway for couples in need of a fresh start. Yet even as she’s struggling to salvage her marriage, it seems Craig has plans to leave her for another woman. In fact, his bags are already packed --- long before he arrives to meet Daisy in this remote cabin in the woods of upstate New York. At first, their week away is marked by solitude, connection and natural beauty --- and only a few hostile locals. But what Craig doesn’t know is that Daisy, a slyly talented actress, has her own secrets, including a burner phone she’s been using for mysterious texts. Not to mention the Eden Test itself, which poses a searing new question to the couple every day, each more explosive than the last. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on May 1st and 2nd
Below are some notable titles releasing on May 1st and 2nd that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks available the week of May 1st, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
May 1st
THE 1998 YANKEES: The Inside Story of the Greatest Baseball Team Ever by Jack Curry (Sports)
Discover the inside story of the Yankees' unprecedented talent with this gripping account from a reporter who was there for the team's 125 wins.
THE 23rd MIDNIGHT by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro (Thriller)
An attention-seeking copycat is recreating murders by a famous killer from the Women’s Murder Club’s past --- with devastating new twists.
May 2nd
ALL THE DAYS OF SUMMER by Nancy Thayer (Fiction)
A woman’s second act on the beautiful island of Nantucket delivers much more than she expected in this hopeful novel by New York Times bestselling author Nancy Thayer.
CAMERA GIRL: The Coming of Age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy by Carl Sferrazza Anthony (Biography)
This illuminating new biography of the young Jackie Bouvier Kennedy covers her formative adventures abroad in Paris; her life as a writer and photographer at a Washington, DC, newspaper; and her romance with a dashing, charismatic Massachusetts congressman who shared her intellectual passion.
CHAIN-GANG ALL-STARS by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah (Dystopian Fiction/Satire)
Two top women gladiators fight for their freedom within a depraved private prison system not so far-removed from America’s own in this explosive, hotly anticipated debut novel from the New York Times bestselling author of FRIDAY BLACK.
CLYTEMNESTRA by Costanza Casati (Historical Fiction)
For fans of Madeline Miller's CIRCE comes a stunning debut following Clytemnestra, the most notorious villainess of the ancient world and the events that forged her into the legendary queen.
THE COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Verghese (Historical Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of CUTTING FOR STONE comes a stunning and magisterial epic of love, faith and medicine, set in Kerala, South India, and following three generations of a family seeking the answers to a strange secret.
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT KITTY KARR? by Crystal Smith Paul (Fiction)
DID YOU HEAR ABOUT KITTY KARR? is a sprawling page-turner set against the backdrop of the Hollywood machine, an insightful and nuanced look at the inheritances of family, race and gender --- and the choices some women make to break free of them.
THE FERRYMAN by Justin Cronin (Dystopian Thriller/Science Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THE PASSAGE comes a riveting stand-alone novel about a group of survivors on a hidden island utopia --- where the truth isn't what it seems.
THE FIRST LADY OF WORLD WAR II: Eleanor Roosevelt's Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back by Shannon McKenna Schmidt (History)
Shannon McKenna Schmidt’s THE FIRST LADY OF WORLD WAR II is the first book to tell the full story of Eleanor Roosevelt's unprecedented and courageous trip to the Pacific Theater during World War II.
THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane (Fiction)
From the bestselling author of ASK AGAIN, YES comes a masterful novel about a couple in a small town who must navigate the complexities of marriage, family and longing.
JUST A REGULAR BOY by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Fiction)
An orphaned boy raised by a survivalist wends his way into the real world in an emotional novel about hope, fears and found family by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.
LAWS OF WRATH: A Martyr Maker Novel by Eriq La Salle (Thriller)
Actor, director and producer turned thriller author Eriq La Salle gives The Godfather an occult twist with LAWS OF WRATH, a gritty, lightning-paced thriller about two families trapped in brutal acts of loyalty and revenge.
THE NIGERWIFE by Vanessa Walters (Literary Thriller/Mystery)
In this twisty and electrifying debut novel, a young woman goes missing in Lagos, Nigeria, and her estranged auntie will stop at nothing to find the truth behind her disappearance.
NO TWO PERSONS by Erica Bauermeister (Fiction)
One book. Nine readers. Ten changed lives. New York Times bestselling author Erica Bauermeister’s NO TWO PERSONS is “a gloriously original celebration of fiction, and the ways it deepens our lives.” (Nina de Gramont, New York Times bestselling author of THE CHRISTIE AFFAIR)
THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA by Patti Callahan Henry (Historical Fiction)
When a woman discovers a rare book that has connections to her past, long-held secrets about her missing sister and their childhood spent in the English countryside during World War II are revealed.
SUMMER ON SAG HARBOR by Sunny Hostin (Fiction)
Following her New York Times bestseller SUMMER ON THE BLUFFS, "The View" co-host and three-time Emmy Award winner Sunny Hostin spirits readers away to the warm beaches of Sag Harbor for the compelling second novel in her acclaimed Summer series.
SWAMP STORY by Dave Barry (Fiction/Humor)
Pulitzer Prize–winning New York Times bestselling author and actual Florida Man Dave Barry returns with a Florida caper full of oddballs and more twists and turns than a snake slithering away from a gator.
THE WEDDING PLANNER by Danielle Steel (Fiction)
In this captivating novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel, a wildly successful, unmarried wedding planner leads her clients to happily ever after.
THE WRONG GOOD DEED by Caroline B. Cooney (Mystery/Thriller)
Beloved international bestselling author Caroline B. Cooney captures the technicolor complicated human heart in this literary Southern mystery about one secret afternoon in 1964 when a young wife barreling down a dirt road in her station wagon chooses not to be a bystander.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Patti Callahan Henry, Amanda Quick, Shannon McKenna Schmidt
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Below are four upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Sunday, April 30th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Dennis Lehane will talk to special guest host Michael Koryta about his new novel, SMALL MERCIES. This all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate and insidious power is set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston’s history.
Tuesday, May 2nd at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Amanda Quick (aka Jayne Ann Krentz) will talk to special guest host J.T. Ellison about her new book, THE BRIDE WORE WHITE, in which a psychic desperate to escape her destiny --- and a killer --- finds her future in the coastal town of Burning Cove.
Wednesday, May 3rd at 5pm ET: Browseabout Books and Lewes Public Library: Join Lewes Public Library for a conversation with Shannon McKenna Schmidt, author of THE FIRST LADY OF WORLD WAR II: Eleanor Roosevelt's Daring Journey to the Frontlines and Back. Joining Shannon in conversation will be Paul Sparrow, the former director of the FDR Presidential Library and Museum.
Wednesday, May 3rd at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry --- will be celebrating the launch of Patti's new historical novel, THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA, which is May's Barnes & Noble Book Club pick.
"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:
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Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo (THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER)
Video | Podcast
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Alice Elliott Dark (FELLOWSHIP POINT)
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Kate Morton (HOMECOMING)
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Nancy Horan (THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: Independent Bookstores
Is there an independent bookstore near your home?
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, May 12th 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 read with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from April 28th to May 12th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE HALF MOON by Mary Beth Keane and THE SECRET BOOK OF FLORA LEA by Patti Callahan Henry.
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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