August 18, 2023

August 18, 2023

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Loving Every Flower

Our hibiscus plants have been spectacular this year. I confess that I don't remember planting the light pink one, but it’s gorgeous! These flowers usually only last a day before they die back, but I do love them!

This is the time of year when I love to shop at nurseries to see what is on sale that I can fill in around the garden. Often bedraggled-looking plants that already bloomed in late spring or early summer are sold at great discounts. When planted, they typically spring some nice color into the garden next year. I do want to get some more limelight, or that kind of variation of hydrangea plants that grow six feet tall, and I know right where I…no, actually my husband…will plant them. This, alas, is why he does not want to take me up on my idea to “hit the nursery.”

It looks like the weather is going to be perfect for reading and floating this weekend. The floats are blown up and ready to go! And I have books in stacks ready for reading. 

Oh, and I love to share products that I come across that would be great for audiobook listening in the water. I have not tried Zygo headphones (yes, they are pricey), but the set I have now are only for music, while this would allow for listening to audiobooks and podcasts, as well as music. If any of you have tried this, let me know.

Now to this week’s update...

We have two new “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews to share with you in this newsletter.

First up is Naomi Hirahara, who joined me to talk about her latest mystery, EVERGREEN, which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. The story once again features Aki Ito, who readers met in CLARK AND DIVISION, which also was a Bets On title. Aki has now moved back to Los Angeles from Chicago where her family was displaced during World War II.

Naomi talks about her research for this book, some of which was drawn from relatives, as well as her work over the past decades. She explains how EVERGREEN works well as a stand-alone novel and what brought her and the publisher to call these books Japantown mysteries. I also share how they give an insightful look into this time as historical fiction, as well as a mystery. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. Don't miss my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.

EVERGREEN continues to be the prize book in our current “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com. You have until Wednesday, September 13th at noon ET to let us know what your group is reading (or what you read last month); three groups will win 12 copies.

Featured Review: THE HEAVEN & EARTH
GROCERY STORE by James McBride

THE HEAVEN & EARTH GROCERY STORE by James McBride (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Dominic Hoffman
In 1972, when workers in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, were digging the foundations for a new development, the last thing they expected to find was a skeleton at the bottom of a well. Who the skeleton was and how it got there were two of the long-held secrets kept by the residents of Chicken Hill, the dilapidated neighborhood where immigrant Jews and African Americans lived side by side and shared ambitions and sorrows. Chicken Hill was where Moshe and Chona Ludlow lived when Moshe integrated his theater and where Chona ran the Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. When the state came looking for a deaf boy to institutionalize him, it was Chona and Nate Timblin, the Black janitor at Moshe’s theater and the unofficial leader of the Black community on Chicken Hill, who worked together to keep the boy safe. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: THE INVISIBLE HOUR by Alice Hoffman

THE INVISIBLE HOUR by Alice Hoffman (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jessie Mueller
One brilliant June day when Mia Jacob can no longer see a way to survive, the power of words saves her. THE SCARLET LETTER was written almost 200 years earlier, but it seems to tell the story of Mia’s mother, Ivy, and their life inside the Community --- an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where contact with the outside world is forbidden, and books are considered evil. But how could this be? How could Nathaniel Hawthorne have so perfectly captured the pain and loss that Mia carries inside her? Through a journey of heartbreak, love and time, Mia must abandon the rules she was raised with at the Community. As she does, she realizes that reading can transport you to other worlds or bring them to you, and that readers and writers affect one another in mysterious ways. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: TIDES OF FIRE by James Rollins

TIDES OF FIRE by James Rollins (Thriller/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Christian Baskous
The Titan Project, an international research station off the coast of Australia, discovers a thriving zone of life in an otherwise dead sea. The area teems with a strange bioluminescent coral that defies science yet holds great promise for the future. But the loss of a military submarine in the area triggers a brutal attack and sets in motion a geological disaster that destabilizes an entire region. Massive quakes, volcanic eruptions and deadly tsunamis herald a greater cataclysm to come --- for something is stirring miles under the ocean, a threat hidden for millennia. As seas turn toxic and coastlines burn, can Sigma Force stop what has been let loose --- especially as an old adversary returns, hunting them and thwarting their every move? Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Bookreporter.com Bets On:
EVERYONE HERE IS LYING by Shari Lapena
and GONE TONIGHT by Sarah Pekkanen

EVERYONE HERE IS LYING by Shari Lapena (Domestic Thriller)
Longtime readers know that I call Shari Lapena “The Queen of the One-Sit Read.” Why? Because once I start reading one of her books, I do not stop. The action peaks at the end of each chapter, and you think, Ah, I can read one more. And you keep going like that. EVERYONE HERE IS LYING lives up to its title. These characters are filled with secrets.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on EVERYONE HERE IS LYING.

GONE TONIGHT by Sarah Pekkanen (Domestic Thriller)
Sarah Pekkanen’s GONE TONIGHT is written in two voices. Ruth Sterling is 41 and is a fierce protector of her 24-year-old daughter, Catherine. Ruth left home when she became pregnant at 17, and it’s been just the two of them for years. When the book opens, Catherine is looking forward to relocating to Baltimore for a new job. Ruth does not want her to make this move, as it will bring her too close to something from Ruth’s past that she needs to keep left behind. As the novel unfolds, readers are given more looks into that past and why Ruth is so protective.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.

Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on GONE TONIGHT.

Featured Review: WITNESS by Jamel Brinkley

WITNESS: Stories by Jamel Brinkley (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by Karen Chilton and Korey Jackson
In these 10 stories, each set in the changing landscapes of contemporary New York City, a range of characters --- from children to grandmothers to ghosts --- live through the responsibility of perceiving and the moral challenge of speaking up or taking action. Though they strive to connect, to remember, to stand up for, and to really see each other, they often fall short, and the structures they build around these ambitions and failures shape not only their own futures but the legacies and prospects of their families and their city. In its portraits of families and friendships lost and found, the paradox of intimacy, the long shadow of grief and the meaning of home, WITNESS enacts its own testimony. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: TANGLED VINES by John Glatt

TANGLED VINES: Power, Privilege, and the Murdaugh Family Murders by John Glatt (True Crime)
Audiobook available, read by Shaun Grindell
Among the lush, tree-lined waterways of South Carolina low country, the Murdaugh name means power. A century-old, multimillion-dollar law practice has catapulted the family into incredible wealth and local celebrity --- but it was an unimaginable tragedy that would thrust them into the national spotlight. On June 7, 2021, prominent attorney Alex Murdaugh discovered the bodies of his wife, Maggie, and son, Paul, on the grounds of their thousand-acre hunting lodge. The mystery deepened only months later when Alex himself was discovered shot in the head on a local roadside. But as authorities scrambled for clues and the community reeled from the loss and media attention, dark secrets about this Southern legal dynasty came to light. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: ALTHEA by Sally H. Jacobs

ALTHEA: The Life of Tennis Champion Althea Gibson by Sally H. Jacobs (Sports/Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Chanté McCormick
In 1950, three years after Jackie Robinson first walked onto the diamond at Ebbets Field, the all-white, upper-crust US Lawn Tennis Association opened its door just a crack to receive a powerhouse player who would integrate "the game of royalty." The player was a street-savvy young Black woman from Harlem named Althea Gibson, who was about as out-of-place in that rarefied and intolerant world as any aspiring tennis champion could be. But her astonishing performance on the court soon eclipsed the negative feelings being cast her way as she eventually became one of the greatest American tennis champions. In ALTHEA, Sally H. Jacobs tells the heart-rending story of this pioneer --- a trailblazer, a champion, and one of the most remarkable Americans of the 20th century. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP
by Joshua Moehling

WHERE THE DEAD SLEEP by Joshua Moehling (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Linda Jones
When an early morning call brings Deputy Ben Packard to the scene of a home invasion, he finds Bill Sandersen shot in his bed. Bill was a well-liked local who chased easy money his whole life, leaving bad debts and broken hearts in his wake. As the investigation begins, tragedy strikes the Sheriff's department, forcing Packard to make a difficult choice about his future: step down as acting Sheriff and pursue a quiet life, or subject himself to the scrutiny of an election for the full-time role of Sheriff, a job he's not sure he wants. There's a hidden history to Sandy Lake that Packard can't see. Bad blood and old secrets run deep. But an attempt on Packard's life means he's getting uncomfortably close to the dangerous legacy of the quiet Minnesota town. And someone will do anything to keep it hidden. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

More Reviews This Week

THORNHEDGE by T. Kingfisher (Fantasy/Adventure)
Audiobook available, read by Jennifer Blom
There's a princess trapped in a tower. This isn't her story. Meet Toadling. On the day of her birth, she was stolen from her family by the fairies, but she grew up safe and loved in the warm waters of faerieland. Once an adult though, the fae ask a favor of Toadling: return to the human world and offer a blessing of protection to a newborn child. Simple, right? But nothing with fairies is ever simple. Centuries later, a knight approaches a towering wall of brambles, where the thorns are as thick as your arm and as sharp as swords. He's heard there's a curse here that needs breaking, but it's a curse Toadling will do anything to uphold. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

DELICATE CONDITION by Danielle Valentine (Psychological Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Hillary Huber
Anna Alcott is desperate to have a family. But as she tries to balance her increasingly public life as an indie actress with a grueling IVF journey, she starts to suspect that someone is going to great lengths to make sure that never happens. Crucial medicines are lost. Appointments get swapped without her knowledge. Cryptic warnings have her jumping at shadows. And despite everything she's gone through to make this pregnancy a reality, not even her husband is willing to believe that someone is playing twisted games with her. Then her doctor tells her she's had a miscarriage --- except Anna is convinced she's still pregnant despite everything the grave-faced men around her claim. Vague warnings become direct threats as someone stalks her through the bleak ghost town of the snowy Hamptons. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

SPIN A BLACK YARN: Novellas by Josh Malerman (Speculative Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available; read by Ashley Laurence, James Fouhey and Pete Bradbury
Josh Malerman spins five twisted tales from the shadows of the human soul. A sister insists to her little brother that “Half the House Is Haunted” by a strange presence. But is it the house that’s haunted --- or their childhoods? In “Argyle,” a dying man confesses to homicides he never committed and reveals long-kept secrets far more sinister than murder. A tourist takes the ultimate trip to outer space in “The Jupiter Drop,” but the real journey is into his own dark past. In “Doug and Judy Buy the House Washer™,” a couple buys the latest home gadget only to find themselves trapped by their possessions, their history…and each other. And in “Egorov,” a wealthy old cretin murders a young man, not knowing the victim was a triplet. The two surviving brothers stage a savage faux-haunting with the aim of driving him mad. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE WEAVER AND THE WITCH QUEEN by Genevieve Gornichec (Historical Fantasy/Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Nina Yndis
Oddny and Gunnhild meet as children in 10th-century Norway. After a visiting wisewoman makes an ominous prophecy that involves Oddny, her sister Signy, and Gunnhild, the three girls take a blood oath to always help one another. When Oddny’s farm is destroyed and Signy is kidnapped by Viking raiders, Oddny is set adrift from the life she imagined --- but she's determined to save her sister, even as she finds herself drawn to one of the raiders who participated in the attack. And in the far north, Gunnhild, who fled her home years ago to learn the ways of a witch, is surprised to find that her destiny seems to be linked with that of the formidable King Eirik. But the bonds that hold the two women together are strong, and when they find their way back to each other, these bonds will be tested in ways they never could have foreseen. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.

THE TRADE OFF by Sandie Jones (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Nathalie Buscombe and Sofia Engstrand
For Stella, deputy editor of The Globe, the choice has always been clear. It doesn’t matter how low she has to stoop --- getting the best story is what she’s built her reputation on. For Jess, The Globe’s rookie reporter, the story stops when the truth does. But she knows that the dirty tricks of the tabloids will be hard to overturn. And when a celebrity is hounded by The Globe and pays the ultimate price, Jess wonders just how much Stella and the paper are responsible. Determined to show the world what the tabloid is capable of, Jess will do whatever it takes to uncover the truth. But she needs to watch her back, because someone else is prepared to kill to bury it. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.

SUN DAMAGE by Sabine Durrant (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Sofia Zervudachi
In a tiny village in Provence, nine guests arrive at a luxury holiday home. The visitors know each other well, or at least they think they do. The only stranger among them is Lulu, the young woman catering their stay. But Lulu is not exactly the woman on the video the guests thought they’d hired. It turns out Lulu has plenty to hide --- and nowhere to run as the heat rises. In this seemingly idyllic getaway, under the scorching sun, loyalties will be tested, secrets exposed, and tensions pushed to the brink. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.

STILL BORN written by Guadalupe Nettel, translated by Rosalind Harvey (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Rachel Schwab
Alina and Laura are independent and career-driven women in their mid-30s, neither of whom have built their future around the prospect of a family. Laura is so determined not to become a mother that she has made the drastic decision to have her tubes tied. But when she announces this to her friend, she learns that Alina has made the opposite decision and is preparing to have a child of her own. Alina's pregnancy shakes the women's lives, first creating distance and then a remarkable closeness between them. When Alina's daughter survives childbirth --- after a diagnosis that predicted the opposite --- and Laura becomes attached to her neighbor's son, both women are forced to reckon with the complexity of their emotions, their needs, and the needs of the people who are dependent upon them. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

THE MUSEUM OF HUMAN HISTORY by Rebekah Bergman (Fiction/Magical Realism)
Audiobook available, read by Gilli Messer and Mark Bramhall
After nearly drowning, eight-year-old Maeve Wilhelm falls into a strange comatose state. As years pass, it becomes clear that Maeve is not physically aging. A wide cast of characters finds themselves pulled toward Maeve, each believing that her mysterious “sleep” holds the answers to their life’s most pressing questions: Kevin Marks, a museum owner obsessed with preservation; Monique Gray, a refugee and performance artist; Lionel Wilhelm, an entomologist who dreamed of being an astrophysicist; and Evangeline Wilhelm, Maeve’s identical twin. As Maeve remains asleep, the characters grapple with a mysterious new technology and medical advances that promise to ease anxiety and end pain, but instead cause devastating side effects. Reviewed by Sam Johnson.

SAVING MYLES by Carl Vonderau (Thriller)
Wade, a respected banker in La Jolla, CA, and his estranged wife, Fiona, make the unbearable decision to send their teenage son, Myles, away to an expensive treatment center after a streak of harmful behavior. After a year of treatment, Myles comes home, seemingly rehabilitated. But soon, he sneaks off to Tijuana to buy drugs --- and is kidnapped. When the ransom call comes, Fiona is frantic and accepts help from Andre, the Quebecois whose charity Fiona runs. In order to get the ransom money, Wade makes a deal with Andre: He’ll work for Andre’s bank in exchange for the cash. But as Wade races to rescue Myles before his kidnappers lose their patience, he realizes he’s wrapped up in more crime than just a kidnapping. He’s now indebted to a cartel. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.

Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on August 22nd

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

AFTER THAT NIGHT by Karin Slaughter (Mystery/Thriller)
Will Trent and Sara Linton are back in an electrifying thriller featuring GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton from New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter.

THE CONTINENTAL AFFAIR by Christine Mangan (Historical/Literary Thriller)
With gorgeous prose, European glamour and an expansive wanderlust, Christine Mangan's THE CONTINENTAL AFFAIR is a daring literary caper that is quick on its feet and delightfully surprising.

DAUGHTER OF THE DRAGON: Anna May Wong's Rendezvous with American History by Yunte Huang (Biography)
DAUGHTER OF THE DRAGON is a trenchant reclamation of Chinese American movie star Anna May Wong, whose battles against cinematic exploitation and endemic racism are set against the currents of 20th-century history.

DEAD MOUNTAIN: A Nora Kelly Novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Thriller)
#1 New York Times bestselling authors Preston & Child return in the latest installment of the bestselling series featuring renowned archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, who investigate a mystery so enigmatic it may have no solution.

HARM’S WAY: A Jonathan Grave Thriller by John Gilstrap (Political Thriller)
The exhilarating new thriller from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author John Gilstrap takes readers on an action-packed thrill ride across rural Venezuela. The kidnappers are ruthless. The stakes are high. The odds are impossible. There’s no way Jonathan Grave can say no.

LUNATIC CARNIVAL by D.W. Buffa (Legal Thriller)
D.W. Buffa paints an unforgettable and timely portrait of an age in which nothing is thought more important than fame and money, a world in which immorality has become the trademark of success, and murder just another business decision.

SIR HEREWARD AND MISTER FITZ: Stories of the Witch Knight and the Puppet Sorcerer by Garth Nix (Fantasy/Short Stories)
New York Times bestselling author Garth Nix’s exciting adult debut is a new collection that includes all eight stories --- plus a never-before-published story --- featuring Sir Hereward and his sorcerous puppet companion Mister Fitz, gathered in one magical volume for the first time ever.

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

From left to right: AJ Pearce, Alice Hoffman, Jessica Ward

Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events

Here are six upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.

Sunday, August 20th at 7pm ET: The Back Room: Join Brian Andrews & Jeff Wilson, Naomi Hirahara, Ken Jaworowski and Sarah Pekkanen for an evening of great conversation! The event will start with a short introduction to each author. Then the audience will be divided into four breakout rooms where they will remain for the rest of the program while the authors visit each room in turn.

Monday, August 21st at 7pm ET: Ashland Public Library: Nan Fischer will join Ashland Public Library to talk about her new novel, THE BOOK OF SILVER LININGS, which is a must read for anyone who loves uplifting books with a touch of magic.

Wednesday, August 23rd at 1pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites: Jessica Ward will join members of the Simon & Schuster team to discuss her latest novel, THE ST. AMBROSE SCHOOL FOR GIRLS, which is August's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites.

Wednesday, August 23rd at 4pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: AJ Pearce will talk about her new book, MRS. PORTER CALLING, a charming and irresistible novel featuring journalist Emmy Lake as she fights for her readers, her friends and her found family in London during World War II.

Wednesday, August 23rd 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 Ann Garvin about THERE'S NO COMING BACK FROM THIS and Ally Carter about THE BLONDE IDENTITY.

Thursday, August 24th at 8:30pm ET: Book Passage: Alice Hoffman will be in conversation with Luisa Smith about her new book, THE INVISIBLE HOUR, an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery and the enduring magic of books.

 "Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts

“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)

Here are our latest interviews:

• Naomi Hirahara (EVERGREEN: A Japantown Mystery) Video | Podcast
• Tracey Lange (THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed include:

• Linwood Barclay (THE LIE MAKER) Video | Podcast
• Rachel Beanland (THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE) Video | Podcast
• Adrienne Brodeur (LITTLE MONSTERS) Video | Podcast
• Alice Elliott Dark (FELLOWSHIP POINT) Video | Podcast
• Alli Frank and Asha Youmans (THE BETTER HALF) Video | Podcast
• Nancy Horan (THE HOUSE OF LINCOLN) Video | Podcast
• Sadeqa Johnson (THE HOUSE OF EVE) Video | Podcast
• William Landay (ALL THAT IS MINE I CARRY WITH ME) Video | Podcast
• Carolyn Mackler (THE WIFE APP) Video | Podcast
• Kate Morton (HOMECOMING) Video | Podcast
• Liz Nugent (STRANGE SALLY DIAMOND) Video | Podcast
• Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo (THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER)
  Video | Podcast
• Shelley Read (GO AS A RIVER) Video | Podcast
• Lisa Scottoline (LOYALTY) Video | Podcast
• Lisa See (LADY TAN'S CIRCLE OF WOMEN) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Melanie Benjamin (CALIFORNIA GOLDEN)
• William Kent Krueger (THE RIVER WE REMEMBER)
• Shari Lapena (EVERYONE HERE IS LYING)
• Sarah Pekkanen (GONE TONIGHT) 

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

Our Latest Poll: Visiting the Library

Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, August 25th 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.

Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com

Reviews | Features | Bookreporter.com Bets On | Upcoming Bets On
Contests | Poll | Word of Mouth | Coming Soon
  On Sale This Week | New in Paperback | Books on Screen
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts | "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books"
  Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks | Book Festivals

Please visit the other websites in TheBookReportNetwork.com: ReadingGroupGuides.com and AuthorsOnTheWeb.com.

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