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Happy Memorial Day...The Unofficial Start of Summer!
The peony buds have burst into flowers. I have never seen them as lush as this year. I think the mild winter may have something to do with it. And they are not shedding their petals as quickly as they usually do. I have been cutting some and arranging them around the house. They look like delicate snowballs.
I am crazy about the plants that the boys gave me for Mother’s Day. Greg gave me the pink and white dahlia, and I dashed out to get one to match it. Cory’s gift was a pentas plant, and it too has pink flowers. Last year, I planted some seeds; at the end of the summer, there were some green stems growing, but they did not have any buds on them. I left it outside, they wintered over, and it’s Sweet William flowers. Who knew? I also bought two clematis plants, and I am trying to figure out where I want to plant them.
The fact that the peonies are in bloom lines up with the timing of the annual show for the book industry. This week, Tom Donadio, Lisa Hickman and I attended the U.S. Book Show. For four days, we listened to panels about industry trends, and took pages and pages of notes about upcoming titles. While Tom and I stayed virtual to multitask, Lisa headed into the city to catch the day's author interviews live on Wednesday.
There are some terrific books releasing in the months ahead, so we noted the titles we want to cover and the authors we hope to interview. Hearing from editors and authors was a great way for us to dive into planning the second half of the year.
Before I get back to planting and planning, we have a great lineup for you this week. Lots of reading for the holiday.
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Linwood Barclay, whose new thriller THE LIE MAKER we reviewed last week and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection.
Linwood talks about the protagonist Jack’s quest to find his father, who entered the witness protection program years ago, and the interesting role with which Jack is presented. Linwood’s love of cars once again finds its way into this story. He also shares something that he has had in his desk for over 50 years and what it means to him.
I think this is Linwood's best book yet…and our reviewer, Ray Palen, agrees with me. The pages fly by, and the ending comes at you full barrel. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. We will feature my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.
This is your last newsletter reminder to sign up for this month’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event, which will take place next Tuesday, May 30th at 8pm ET.
Our guest will be Laura Dave, and we will be talking about THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, a Bets On pick that recently released in paperback and is now a limited series on Apple TV+ starring Jennifer Garner. This twisty page-turner is about a woman who thinks she has found the love of her life --- until he disappears.
You can register for the event by clicking here. If you would like to ask Laura a question about the book on camera during the event and chat with her in our virtual green room before the event, please email me with your question using the subject line “Laura” by Tuesday at noon ET. 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.
THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews is the latest title we’re featuring in our Paperback Spotlight. We reviewed the book when it came out in hardcover last year, and now it's available in paperback. So be sure to check out the review, along with an excerpt.
Here’s the premise: Hattie Kavanaugh went to work helping to clean up restored homes for Kavanaugh & Son Restorations at 18; married the boss’s son at 20; and was only 25 when her husband, Hank, was killed in a motorcycle accident. Brokenhearted but determined to continue the business of their dreams, she takes the life insurance money, buys a small house in a gentrifying neighborhood, flips it, then puts the money into her next project. But that house is a disaster and a money-loser, which rocks her confidence for years to come. Then Hattie gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: star in a beach house renovation reality show called “The Homewreckers,” cast against a male lead who may be a love interest --- or the ultimate antagonist.
Summer Reading Update
We gave away THE HOMEWRECKERS in this week’s Summer Reading contest. Next week’s prizes will be LADY TAN’S CIRCLE OF WOMEN by Lisa See (an upcoming Bets On pick that releases on June 6th; it's a really fabulous book) and MUSTIQUE ISLAND by Sarah McCoy (a Bets On title that will be available in paperback on Tuesday). The first contest of the week will be up on Tuesday at noon ET.
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
You also will have the chance to win LADY TAN’S CIRCLE OF WOMEN in our Word of Mouth contest, along with BEWARE THE WOMAN by Megan Abbott, which we will review next week. Let us know by Friday, June 9th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both these titles.
We are happy to share with you our review of THE COVENANT OF WATER, the long-awaited new novel from Abraham Verghese, which is Oprah’s latest Book Club pick. Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, the book is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: In every generation, at least one person dies by drowning --- and in Kerala, water is everywhere.
Our reviewer Jane T. Krebs has this to say: “How do you read this book?... I became a teacher again. I printed a map of India. I marked pronunciations for cities, foods and names. I jotted down brief summaries of the Parts. I dog-eared the pages with exceptional passages until there were more dog-ears than flats. I read sections aloud to my husband about an extraordinary medical procedure that saved Digby’s hand. For you? Read THE COVENANT OF WATER as you will. Just allow yourself to become immersed in the laughter and tears, and discover the unclaimed secrets of this epic, wonderful novel.”
Sisters Lynne and Valerie Constantine, who are collectively known as Liv Constantine, are back with their latest novel of psychological suspense, THE SENATOR’S WIFE. In it, a D.C. philanthropist suspects that her seemingly perfect employee is secretly plotting to steal her husband, her reputation --- even her life.
According to our reviewer Pamela Kramer, “One factor that makes Liv Constantine books so enjoyable is their ability to write dialogue and action that make us feel real empathy for many of the characters. We genuinely like Sloane, and we respect her morals and beliefs. We aren't sure how we feel about Rosemary at first, but we do know that she’s doing the best she can with the information she has. There is much that the authors are hiding, which becomes apparent the closer we get to the end of this brilliantly plotted book.”
KING: A Life is the first major biography in decades of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. --- and the first to include recently declassified FBI files. In this revelatory new portrait of the preacher and activist who shook the world, Jonathan Eig gives us an intimate view of the courageous and often emotionally troubled human being who demanded peaceful protest for his movement but was rarely at peace with himself.
Barbara Bamberger Scott has our review and says, “Eig has brought to this extensive work new facts concerning King’s family life and public image, delving into FBI files and other hitherto untapped sources. He also gives voice to King’s wife Coretta, who supported her husband in all his crusades against tyranny. After his shocking demise, she became a spokesperson in her own right…. Eig’s book offers a fresh examination of King and the swirl of social and political factors that were prevalent in his day.”
Books Dad Will Want to Read…and Can Win!
KING is one of the six books you can win for yourself or your dad in our Father’s Day contest. The others are I WILL FIND YOU by Harlan Coben, LAWS OF WRATH: A Martyr Maker Novel by Eriq La Salle, the aforementioned THE LIE MAKER by Linwood Barclay, THE NAZI CONSPIRACY: The Secret Plot to Kill Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill by Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch, and SIMPLY LIES by David Baldacci. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, June 16th at noon ET.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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THE LATE AMERICANS: Brandon Taylor, the Booker Prize finalist and widely acclaimed author of REAL LIFE and FILTHY ANIMALS, returns with a deeply involving new novel of young men and women at a crossroads.
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INDEPENDENCE SQUARE: Martin Cruz Smith continues his series featuring Detective Arkady Renko, who risks his life when he heads to Ukraine shortly before the Russian invasion to find an anti-Putin activist who has mysteriously disappeared.
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THE LOCK-UP: Spanning the mountaintops of Italy, the front lines of World War II Bavaria, the gritty streets of Dublin and other unexpected locales, John Banville’s latest novel brings two detectives together to solve a globe-spanning mystery.
Revisiting My “Bookreporter Talks To” Interview with Jennifer Hillier
Out in paperback this week is THINGS WE DO IN THE DARK by Jennifer Hillier, a Bets On pick about a woman who is suspected of killing her celebrity husband and whose long-hidden past now threatens to destroy her future. I talked to Jennifer about the book last July 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.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
June is Audiobook Appreciation Month. With that in mind, we’re curious to know if you listen to digital audiobooks. Let us know what you think about digital audio vs. physical audio (discs) in our latest poll. Audiobook listening has exploded over the last couple of years; I have heard (pun intended) from so many friends who have embraced digital audio.
In our previous poll, we listed 35 titles releasing in paperback in May and asked which of them, if any, you have read or are planning to read. Here are your top five picks: THE MIDNIGHT LIBRARY by Matt Haig (52%), THE LIONESS by Chris Bohjalian (30%), FOX CREEK by William Kent Krueger (29%), THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY by Jamie Ford (28%), and FELLOWSHIP POINT by Alice Elliott Dark (26%). Click here for all the results.
This week, we learned the sad news that novelist, essayist, memoirist and screenwriter Martin Amis passed away on May 19th at the age of 73 following a battle with esophageal cancer. Amis wrote 15 novels, including INSIDE STORY; the memoir EXPERIENCE; two collections of stories; and seven nonfiction books. Author and veteran TV producer Ronald K. Fried wrote a fabulous piece about Amis for Jesse Kornbluth’s site, HeadButler.com, which Jesse was kind enough to share with us. Click here for Fried’s tribute.
The winner of this year's International Booker Prize is TIME SHELTER by Georgi Gospodinov, translated by Angela Rodel. This is the first novel originally published in Bulgarian to win the prize. In the book, a "clinic for the past" offers a promising treatment for Alzheimer’s sufferers: each floor reproduces a decade in minute detail, transporting patients back in time. But soon the past begins to invade the present.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: Sarajane from Blue Door Books wrote, “I just watched your video discussion with Alice Elliott Dark. Like you, I received an advance copy and was absolutely enthralled with the writing and the story. I read it just as you described you did! Alas, as much as I loved it, as a bookseller it was a hard sell. Readers seem to want shorter books and propulsive plots. So I was happy to find you loved FELLOWSHIP POINT as I did. I have finally found a few book groups who will read it and discuss over the summer. Thanks for all you do to publicize and promote books and authors the way you do. I happily attend all that you offer. I miss BookExpo and my opportunity to see you and the publishers.” Stay tuned for more about this book very soon.
A Man Called Otto on Netflix: I finally got to watch this film last night. It was so well done. Our friend, Angela, is in from the UK, and she enjoyed it too.
“The Last Thing He Told Me” on Apple TV+: This series was brilliant right to the end.
“Succession” on HBO: The finale airs on Sunday night. Last week’s episode was excellent. I am not sure where we go from there. It was so over-the-top crazy.
“Ted Lasso” on Apple TV+: The finale releases on Wednesday. I already see where this one is lined up.
“Saint X” on Hulu: This finale also will be available on Wednesday. I like the way they have done the series in alternate time periods.
There is still lots of construction going on behind the house. The steps to the lower level are done, and they look great. I look forward to seeing how the rest turns out. I want to head to the garden center to practice more shopping restraint. I also am going to backwards knit the shawl that I am working on that now has 164 stitches when it should have 120. I know…44 extras. HOW? Luckily, I am very adept at backwards knitting.
I am looking forward to reading on the deck to kick off summer in style. I finished the aforementioned LADY TAN’S CIRCLE OF WOMEN by Lisa See (on sale June 6th), and it is brilliant. I started the aforementioned BEWARE THE WOMAN by Megan Abbott (on sale Tuesday) and am drawn in already. I will be interviewing Nancy Horan soon, so her new book, THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN (on sale June 6th), is up next. I started DROWNING by T. J. Newman (on sale Tuesday) a while back and was interrupted by a book that I was reading for an interview deadline, so I look forward to returning to it. And I have heard very good things about GOOD NIGHT, IRENE by Luis Alberto Urrea, which releases on Tuesday and is June's Barnes & Noble Book Club pick.
On Memorial Day, as always, I plan to be at the town parade. It’s a wonderful way to honor those who served and were lost. It’s small-town America at its best. I always am amused as they toss candy from the floats, and watching kids scrambling to get them is such fun. And the bands always make me smile.
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: THE COVENANT OF WATER
by Abraham Verghese
Oprah’s Latest Book Club Pick
THE COVENANT OF WATER by Abraham Verghese (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Abraham Verghese
Spanning the years 1900 to 1977, THE COVENANT OF WATER is set in Kerala, on South India’s Malabar Coast, and follows three generations of a family that suffers a peculiar affliction: In every generation, at least one person dies by drowning --- and in Kerala, water is everywhere. At the turn of the century, a 12-year-old girl from Kerala’s long-existing Christian community, grieving the death of her father, is sent by boat to her wedding, where she will meet her 40-year-old husband for the first time. From this unforgettable new beginning, the young girl --- and future matriarch, known as Big Ammachi --- will witness unthinkable changes over the span of her extraordinary life, full of joy and triumph, as well as hardship and loss, her faith and love the only constants. Reviewed by Jane T. Krebs.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide.
- Click here to see why the book is Oprah's latest Book Club pick.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
THE SENATOR’S WIFE by Liv Constantine
THE SENATOR'S WIFE by Liv Constantine (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kirsten Potter
After a tragic chain of events led to the deaths of their spouses two years ago, D.C. philanthropist Sloane Chase and Senator Whit Montgomery are finally starting to move on --- with each other. They decide that hiring a home health aide will give Sloane the support and independence she needs after her upcoming hip replacement surgery. And they find the perfect fit in Athena Karras. Athena tends to Sloane and even helps her run her charitable foundation. But Sloane slowly begins to deteriorate, and her uncertainty quickly turns to paranoia as she begins to suspect the worst. Why is Athena asking her so many probing questions about her foundation --- as well as about her past? And could Sloane be imagining the sultry looks between Athena and her new husband? Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: KING by Jonathan Eig
KING: A Life by Jonathan Eig (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Dion Graham
Jonathan Eig’s KING: A LIFE is the first major biography in decades of the civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. --- and the first to include recently declassified FBI files. The bestselling biographer gives us an intimate view of the courageous and often emotionally troubled human being who demanded peaceful protest for his movement but was rarely at peace with himself. He casts fresh light on the King family’s origins, as well as MLK’s complex relationships with his wife, father and fellow activists. As he follows MLK from the classroom to the pulpit to the streets of Birmingham, Selma and Memphis, Eig dramatically recreates the journey of a man who recast American race relations and became our only modern-day founding father --- as well as the nation’s most mourned martyr. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
New Paperback Spotlight:
THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews
THE HOMEWRECKERS by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Kathleen McInerney
Hattie Kavanaugh went to work restoring homes for Kavanaugh & Son Restorations at 18, married the boss’s son at 20, and became a widow at 25. Now, she’s passionate about her work, but that’s the only passion in her life. “Never love something that can’t love you back” is advice her father-in-law gives her, but Hattie doesn’t follow it and falls head-over-heels for a money pit of a house. She’s determined to make it work, but disaster after disaster occurs, and Hattie’s dream might cost Kavanaugh & Son their livelihood. Hattie needs money, and fast.
When a slick Hollywood producer shows up in her hometown of Savannah, Georgia, she gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: star in a beach house renovation reality show called "The Homewreckers," cast against a male lead who may be a love interest, or may be the ultimate antagonist. Soon, there’s more at stake than bad pipes and dry rot: during the demolition, evidence comes to light that points to the mysterious disappearance of a young wife and mother years before.
With a burned-out detective investigating the case, an arsonist on the loose, two men playing with her emotions, and layers upon layers of vintage wallpaper causing havoc, it's a question of who will flip, who will flop, and if Hattie will ever get her happily-ever-after.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Mary Kay Andrews' bio.
- Click here to visit Mary Kay Andrews' website.
- Connect with Mary Kay Andrews on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Click here to read more in our Paperback Spotlight.
Bookreporter.com's 18th Annual
Father's Day Contest: Best Books for Dad
Father’s Day is a time to celebrate the men in our lives who have raised and loved us. Why not show him your appreciation by inspiring him with a great book? In our 18th annual "Best Books for Dad" contest, we have a selection of books that are perfect gift-giving suggestions for Dad, keeping him busy through the rest of the year. Five readers will be awarded a copy of each of our six featured titles. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, June 16th at noon ET.
This year's prize books are:
Featured Review: THE LATE AMERICANS
by Brandon Taylor
THE LATE AMERICANS by Brandon Taylor (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Kevin R. Free
In the shared and private spaces of Iowa City, a loose circle of lovers and friends encounter, confront and provoke one another in a volatile year of self-discovery. Among them are Seamus, a frustrated young poet; Ivan, a dancer turned aspiring banker who dabbles in amateur pornography; Fatima, whose independence and work ethic complicate her relationships with friends and a trusted mentor; and Noah, who “didn’t seek sex out so much as it came up to him like an anxious dog in need of affection.” As each prepares for an uncertain future, the group heads to a cabin to bid goodbye to their former lives --- a moment of reckoning that leaves each of them irrevocably altered. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: INDEPENDENCE SQUARE
by Martin Cruz Smith
INDEPENDENCE SQUARE: Arkady Renko in Ukraine by Martin Cruz Smith (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jeremy Bobb
It’s June 2021, and Arkady Renko knows that Russia is preparing to invade and subsequently annex Ukraine as it did Crimea in 2014. He is, however, preoccupied with other grievances. His longtime lover, Tatiana Petrovna, has deserted him for her work as an investigative reporter. And he is having trouble with his dexterity and balance. A visit to his doctor reveals that these are symptoms for Parkinson’s disease. Rather than dwell on his diagnosis, he throws himself into another case. An acquaintance has asked him to find his daughter, Karina, an anti-Putin activist who has disappeared. In the course of the investigation, Arkady falls for Karina's roommate, Elena, a Tatar from Ukraine. Later, in Crimea, Tatiana reemerges to complicate Arkady’s new romance. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE LOCK-UP by John Banville
THE LOCK-UP by John Banville (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by John Lee
In 1950s Dublin, young history scholar Rosa Jacobs is found dead in her car. Renowned pathologist Dr. Quirke and DI St. John Strafford begin to investigate the death as a murder, but it’s the victim’s older sister Molly, an established journalist, who discovers a lead that could crack open the case. One of Rosa’s friends, it turns out, is from a powerful German family that arrived in Ireland under mysterious circumstances shortly after World War II. But as Quirke and Strafford close in, their personal lives may put the case --- and everyone involved --- in peril, including Quirke’s own daughter. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
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 next prize book will be announced on Tuesday, May 30th at noon ET.
This year’s featured titles include:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
We currently have the following contest running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest: Win 12 Copies of TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin for Your Group
Each month in our "What's Your Book Group Reading This Month" contest, 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 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group.
Our latest prize book is TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW, AND TOMORROW by Gabrielle Zevin --- an instant New York Times bestseller, a Fallon Book Club selection, and the winner of both the Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction and the Book of the Month Club’s Book of the Year. This novel steeped in nostalgia and innovation follows three friends as they come of age in the world of video games, creating stories and worlds that enhance, redefine and preserve their rich bonds while attempting to defy the limits of mortality. Enter here by Wednesday, June 14th at noon ET.
Here are our latest featured guides:
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.
BLUE SKIES by T.C. Boyle (Thriller/Satire)
Audiobook available, read by Alyssa Bresnahan
Denied a dog, a baby and even a faithful fiancé, Cat suddenly craves a snake: a glistening, writhing creature that can be worn like “jewelry, living jewelry” to match her black jeans. But when the budding social media star promptly loses the young “Burmie” she buys from a local pet store, she inadvertently sets in motion a chain of increasingly dire and outrageous events that comes to threaten her very survival. In BLUE SKIES, T.C. Boyle transports us to water-logged and heat-ravaged coastal America, where Cat and her hapless, nature-loving family is struggling to adapt to the “new normal,” in which once-in-a-lifetime natural disasters happen once a week and drinking seems to be the only way to cope. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
FIRE WITH FIRE by Candice Fox (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jay Aaseng
Following their daughter's mysterious disappearance, Ryan and Elsie Delaney have taken the LAPD forensic lab hostage and given law enforcement an ultimatum: Find their daughter, Tilly, or they will destroy all the evidence they can find to other cold cases. Detective Charlie Hoskins has been undercover in a deadly motorcycle gang for five years. With his cover blown, he has no choice but to find Tilly himself or lose everything he's worked for as the lab burns. Lynette Lamb was a police officer --- until yesterday, when she was fired before her first beat. Figuring out what happened to Tilly is her one and only chance at rejoining the career she's prepared her whole life for. Hoskins and Lamb will have to team up to solve this cold case before the situation explodes. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE WRONG GOOD DEED by Caroline B. Cooney (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Mary Boyer
1964: Christaphine is 20 years old and determined to make a home and a life for her and her husband, Tommy. But when Christaphine discovers Tommy and his friends on the verge of committing a horrible crime, she does what she has to do to stop them. Afterwards, she knows she can't ever go home again. So she disappears. Fifty years later: When Clemmie's neighbor, Muffin, drags her from Sunday morning service at Trinity Hill Church, convinced that the man she's just spotted across the aisle is a dangerous figure from her past, at first Clemmie thinks she's being dramatic. But as Muffin reveals to Clemmie what happened in the middle of a field in South Carolina five decades ago, Clemmie realizes her friend has been keeping dark secrets --- just as Clemmie herself has. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
WOMEN WE BURIED, WOMEN WE BURNED: A Memoir by Rachel Louise Snyder (Memoir)
Rachel Louise Snyder was eight years old when her mother died, and her distraught father thrust the family into an evangelical, cult-like existence. Furiously rebellious, she was expelled from school and home at age 16. Living out of her car and relying on strangers, Rachel found herself masquerading as an adult, talking her way into college, and eventually travelling the globe. In places like India, Tibet and Niger, she interviewed those who had been through the unimaginable. In Cambodia, where she lived for six years, she watched a country reckon with the horrors of its own recent history. When she returned to the States with a family of her own, it was with a new perspective on old family wounds, and a chance for healing from the most unexpected place. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE LAST SONGBIRD: A Pacific Coast Highway Mystery by Daniel Weizmann (Neo-Noir Mystery)
A struggling songwriter and Lyft driver, Adam Zantz’s life changes when he accepts a ride request in Malibu and 1970s music icon Annie Linden enters his vehicle. Bonding during that initial ride, the two quickly go off app. Over the next three years, Adam becomes her exclusive driver, and Annie listens to his music. Then Annie disappears, and her body washes up under a pier. Left with a final cryptic text --- “come to my arms” --- a grieving Adam plays amateur detective, only to be charged as accomplice-after-the-fact. Desperate to clear his name and discover who killed the one person who believed in his music when no one else in his life did, Adam digs deep into Annie’s past and comes to question how well he (or anyone else) knew her --- if at all. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
- Click here to read an interview with Daniel Weizmann.
CLOUD GIRLS by Lisa Harding (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Barrie Kreinik and Jennifer Fitzgerald
Sassy, streetwise Sammy is a teenage girl who is falling through the cracks. Neglected by an alcoholic mother, the problems she endures at school and home lead her into the hands of adults who don't have her best interests in mind. Meanwhile, in a small village in Eastern Europe, preternaturally beautiful and naïve Nico is about to turn 13. As her family falls upon desperate times, her father is approached to marry her off. Consequently, Nico is shuttled across the border into Ireland, where she and Sammy find one another in their new home, a suburban brothel. As Nico and Sammy journey into this dark underbelly and out the other side, their friendship --- and the unexpected acts of kindness they give and receive --- form a potent bond. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
ON FIRE ISLAND by Jane L. Rosen (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Lawrence
As a book editor, Julia Morse lived and breathed stories. Whether with her pen to a manuscript or curled up with a book while at her beloved Fire Island cottage, her imagination alight with a good tale, she could anticipate practically any ending. The ending she’d never imagined was her own. To be fair, no one expects to die at 37. So when the unthinkable happens to Julia, rather than following the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel, she chooses to spend one last summer near those she loves most. As she follows her adoring, novelist husband Ben to their --- unexpectedly full --- home on Fire Island, she discovers the ripple effect her life has had on the trajectory of so many. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
ADRIFT by Lisa Brideau (Thriller)
Ess wakes up alone on a sailboat in the remote Pacific Northwest with no memory of who she is or how she got there. She finds a note, but it's more warning than comfort: Start over. Don't make yourself known. Don't look back. Ess must have answers. She sails over a turbulent ocean to a town hundreds of miles away that she hopes might offer insight. The chilling clues she uncovers point to a desperate attempt at erasing her former life. But why? And someone is watching her…someone who knows she must never learn her truth. In Ess' world, the earth is precariously balanced at a climate tipping point, and she is perched at the edge of a choice. Which life does she want? The one taken from her --- and the dangerous secret that was buried --- or the new one she can make for herself? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
GUMSHOE ON THE RUN: A Mortimer Angel Mystery by Rob Leininger (Mystery)
Mortimer Angel, still a private eye in training, answers a strange, ominous invitation and ends up on the run with a gorgeous girl, Ella Kassel. Chased by unknown killers and wanted by the FBI, Mort and Ella must thread an investigative needle to determine who the real enemy is while they try to discover who murdered the deputy director of the FBI. In disguise and off the grid, Mort ends up in the deadliest situation of his career. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on May 30th
Below are some notable titles releasing on May 30th 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 29th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
BEWARE THE WOMAN by Megan Abbott (Psychological Thriller)
By the "master of thinly veiled secrets often kept by women who rage underneath their delicate exteriors" (Kirkus Reviews), BEWARE THE WOMAN is Megan Abbott at the height of her game.
THE CELEBRANTS by Steven Rowley (Fiction)
THE CELEBRANTS is a moving tale about the false invincibility of youth and the beautiful ways in which friendship helps us celebrate our lives, even amid the deepest challenges of living.
CENTRAL PARK WEST by James Comey (Legal Thriller)
In the thrilling first crime novel from the former director of the FBI, a murder investigation reveals deadly connections between high-ranking politicians and the mafia.
DROWNING: The Rescue of Flight 1421 by T. J. Newman (Thriller)
With devastating emotional power and heart-stopping suspense, DROWNING is an unforgettable thriller about a family’s desperate fight to save themselves and the people trapped with them --- against impossible odds.
GOOD NIGHT, IRENE by Luis Alberto Urrea (Historical Fiction)
In the tradition of THE NIGHTINGALE and TRANSCRIPTION, GOOD NIGHT, IRENE is a searing epic based on the magnificent and true story of courageous Red Cross women.
KILLING MOON: A Harry Hole Novel written by Jo Nesbø, translated by Seán Kinsella (Mystery/Thriller)
Brilliant rogue police investigator Harry Hole is back, this time as an outsider assembling his own team to help find a serial killer who is murdering young women in Oslo.
THE KING'S PLEASURE: A Novel of Henry VIII by Alison Weir (Historical Fiction)
The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the private side of the legendary king Henry VIII and his dramatic and brutal reign in this extraordinary historical novel.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Laura Dave, James Comey, Meg Mitchell Moore
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here 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.
Tuesday, May 30th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author and former FBI director James Comey for a live virtual discussion of his gripping crime fiction debut, CENTRAL PARK WEST, as part of the B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. Comey will be in conversation with the author of the Vanessa Pierson series, Valerie Plame.
Tuesday, May 30th at 8pm ET: "Bookaccino Live" Book Group: Carol Fitzgerald will talk to Laura Dave about her novel, THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME, which is now in paperback and is a limited series on Apple TV+. Laura also will answer questions from guests who will be "on stage," as well as from other members of the audience. If you would like to be one of our featured audience guests and ask Laura a question on camera, please send Carol an email with the subject line “Laura” by Tuesday the 30th at noon ET.
Wednesday, May 31st at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry --- will talk to Meg Mitchell Moore about her latest novel, SUMMER STAGE. Appearing on the Aftershow will be Audrey Bellezza and Emily Hardin, whose debut novel is EMMA OF 83rd STREET.
Wednesday, May 31st at 9:30pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Emma Törzs will talk about her spellbinding debut novel, INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE, in which two estranged half-sisters tasked with guarding their family’s library of magical books must work together to unravel a deadly secret at the heart of their collection.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)
Here is our latest interview:
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Nancy Horan (THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: Digital Audiobooks
Do you listen to digital audiobooks?
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Yes, all of the time.
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Yes, some of the time.
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No, I prefer physical audiobooks (discs).
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No, but I would be interested in exploring this.
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No, I do not listen to audiobooks.
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, June 9th 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 May 26th to June 9th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of BEWARE THE WOMAN by Megan Abbott and LADY TAN'S CIRCLE OF WOMEN by Lisa See.
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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