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27 Years of Bookreporter!
This Sunday the 27th, Bookreporter will turn 27 years old. Seriously, I am not sure how that happened. I think back to the fall of 1995 when Jesse Kornbluth, Murray Bruce and I met for hours to discuss plans for what would be our first site on AOL. We would meet in the lobby of the Royalton Hotel on 44th Street in New York City as they had big tables to work on...and, unlike a library, we could talk there.
Around lunchtime, Condé Nast folks would arrive for their expense-account lunches at the restaurant for swells that they had there while we would head to a coffee shop around the corner. One of my favorite moments happened when Dominick Dunne stopped by to say hi to Jesse on his way to the dining room. We explained what we were doing, and he, like most people, walked away wondering what we were talking about. Then he came back and asked, “Would you interview me?” We said yes, and after he left, we smiled knowing that maybe, just maybe, we were on to something.
But here’s a bit of lore that happened before those days. Bookreporter actually was born because Barnes & Noble did not want to pursue an idea we had for creating videos that would be played in their stores featuring in-depth author interviews. Our thought was that these could run in the cafes or at other designated locations in the store. Once you heard an author speak, interest in their book would be there, and you might just buy a copy. And if it was a favorite author, you might purchase some of their backlist titles.
After we presented a topline of our idea, we were assigned to meet with a creative agency that B&N had hired. We ran everything by them, showed them a demo reel of interviews with a number of well-known authors (those days we were talking VHS tapes, not even DVDs), and their questions went something like this: 1) Who will fix the tape when it breaks? 2) Who will be responsible for putting in the tape each month? and 3) My favorite: What color will the televisions be, and did we understand the palette that B&N was using, which was green and tan?
We left, knowing that our B&N idea was a non-starter, and it looked like our vision for connecting books, authors and readers was not viable. Remember the days when all you knew about an author was what was in the back-flap copy? That was 1995.
A few weeks later, we learned that AOL had a new business idea called “The Greenhouse,” which was the brainchild of Ted Leonsis. People with business ideas would bring their thoughts to them with a plan; if they liked it enough, they would invest to get them started. We pitched them in November 1995, and from there we had a number of meetings before we finally signed a contract in May 1996. They did this for about 45 companies. Today three are standing: The Knot, The Motley Fool and The Book Report Network.
There are so many people to thank for our getting to 27. First, our readers. We know that some of you have been here from the beginning when we had you dialing up to read our content. Whether you joined us back then, or this week, thank you for allowing us to share our thoughts on books and authors with you!
Second, we have an amazing group of reviewers who each week share thoughtful and in-depth reviews about the books that they have read. We so appreciate them. The extensive coverage that we bring to you is because of their wide reading interests.
Our Editorial Director, Tom Donadio, masterminds the review process, and I have been lucky to work with him for 21 years now. The variety of books that are offered to reviewers each month is the result of him going through catalogs and taking tons of notes. We often talk about books that we want to be sure not to miss. Many times, he already has the ideas that I bring to him noted on his monthly Excel spreadsheets. On Sunday nights, when I share our review coverage with publishers, I appreciate the wide range of reviews that we are featuring and how Tom has found the right reviewer for each book. He also edits ALL of my copy and lots of my emails. I still have no grasp of punctuation! If you have a moment, please drop him a note to thank him.
Lisa Hickman joined our team a couple of years ago and since then has worked as our Contest Coordinator --- and so much more. She is the one who alerts you that you are a winner in a contest and tracks down missing books. She also has been working on strengthening our social media presence, where we have been growing our outreach, including designing some branding art. She is what my husband calls “the best wingman” I could ask for. Whether we are heading to an event or planning the programming that I am going to do at a festival or conference, Lisa has my back and also thinks of the myriad of promotion details that I have not had time to wrap my head around.
As for that original video idea, it took 24 years for that to happen. When we started our “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews in mid-2019, we were shooting on our phones when we could get authors to come to the office. Then we moved to Zoom in early 2020, and from there our vision for this part of our editorial offerings got a lot bigger. A couple of months ago, we passed 500,000 video views/podcast listens for our interviews. This is pretty amazing as the only way we have grown is via word of mouth. We now have more than 4,100 YouTube subscribers. Then came “Bookaccino Live” and “Bookaccino Live” Book Group. And we always are thinking about “what’s next”!
Lots of great memories swirl around as I write this. But now, for the 1,350th time, here is this week’s update.
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Shari Lapena, whose new book, EVERYONE HERE IS LYING, is a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. I have christened Shari “the Queen of the One-Sit Read,” as every time I start reading one of her books, I do not stop until I finish it. And I’m not alone; we are hearing this from many other readers.
Shari talks about how the book opens and sets the story up, and from there how the neighbors all become part of the plot. The ending will make you stop and say, “That is so perfect.” Shari discusses her writing process, her drafts and early passes on her books, and how she works with her agent and editor. She also shares what she is hearing from readers about the audiobook, which is narrated by January LaVoy…and, yes, some hints about the next book, which will be her eighth. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
Karin Slaughter brings back GBI investigator Will Trent and medical examiner Sara Linton in AFTER THAT NIGHT, the 11th installment in her long-running series. Fifteen years ago, Sara’s life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, she has remade her life and finally has managed to leave the past behind her. Until one evening, on call in the ER, everything changes.
Ray Palen has our review and says, “Slaughter has several twists and turns in store for our fearless protagonists as they move forward in their investigation. AFTER THAT NIGHT is a heavy and emotion-filled read that is sure to get readers equally engaged in the outcome of this shocking and heartbreaking case.” “Will Trent”, the TV adaptation of this series, was a huge hit for ABC this past season. The second season is scheduled to debut sometime in early 2024.
DEAD MOUNTAIN is the latest entry in Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s series featuring renowned archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson. This time, Nora and Corrie investigate a mystery so enigmatic that it may have no solution.
According to Ray Palen, the book is “a first-rate thrill ride done in the indomitable style that has become Preston & Child’s trademark. Nora Kelly and Corrie Swanson are terrific, extremely likable characters. The narrative and backstory in which they are caught up is the thing of nightmarish legend that will have readers buzzing through this outstanding thriller.”
THE BREAKAWAY is Jennifer Weiner’s warmhearted and empowering new novel about love, family, friendship, secrets and a life-changing journey. Over two weeks and more than 700 miles, strangers become friends, hidden truths come to light, a teenage girl with a secret unites a group of bike riders in unexpected ways...and main character Abby is forced to reconsider everything she believes about herself, her mother and the nature of love.
Katherine B. Weissman has this to say in her review: “THE BREAKAWAY…has a lot of good stuff to say about both body image and self-esteem; it’s also replete with mother-daughter epiphanies, hot sex, an eventful bike trip through New York State to Niagara Falls, and... did I mention hot sex?... Strong, sensuous and altogether adorable, [Abby] keeps the bike trip, as well as the novel, in high gear.”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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LEARNED BY HEART: Emma Donoghue’s latest novel is based on the true story of two girls who fall secretly, deeply and dangerously in love at boarding school in 19th-century York. Full of passion and heartbreak, the tangled lives of Anne Lister and Eliza Raine form a love story for the ages.
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GOOD BAD GIRL: In Alice Feeney’s new thriller, a woman returns to her baby stroller while out shopping to find that her six-month-old daughter has disappeared. From there, the book flashes forward 20 years to a murder in a nursing home that has an unlikely connection to this decades-old cold case.
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END CREDITS: What if achieving your professional dreams comes at too high a personal cost? That’s what screenwriter Patty Lin started to ask herself after years in the cutthroat TV industry. This eye-opening story will resonate with anyone trying to please their parents, maintain a love life, and find their way in the world.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
My two latest Bets On picks are EVERGREEN: A Japantown Mystery by Naomi Hirahara and THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN by Tracey Lange. Click on each of the titles for my Bets On commentary. If you missed my recent interviews with Naomi or Tracey, you can watch or listen to them by clicking on the links below.
Please keep in mind that EVERGREEN continues to be the prize in our “What’s Your Book Group Reading This Month?” contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com. All you have to do is let us know what your group is reading (or what you read last month); three groups will win 12 copies of the book.
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Let us know by Friday, September 8th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win HOLLY by Stephen King and THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger, both of which we will review on the 8th.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
In honor of our 27th anniversary, our new poll asks how long you’ve been a reader of Bookreporter. Are you a newcomer, a longtime fan or somewhere in between? Click here to let us know by Friday, September 8th at noon ET.
In our previous poll, we asked how often you visit your library. 37% of you visit every week, 27% go a few times a month, and 8% only access their library for e-books and downloadable audio. Click here for all the results.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: Joanne wrote, “Your poll about library visits didn’t really have a category for me. I chose “Every week,” but in reality it’s more like 2-3 times a week (or sometimes more than once a day). I usually have at least 15 books on hold at one time. I must check to see if any of the new books on my TBR list have come in, or I must slither through the stacks to search for a new read if nothing on my list is readily available. I forgot to mention that I used to work there part time, so I must keep in touch with old and new friends.”
Red, White & Royal Blue on Amazon Prime Video: I watched this movie based on the bestselling book by Casey McQuiston. It’s light and fun.
“Harlan Coben's Shelter” on Amazon Prime Video: I finished the fourth episode last night. The entire thing is shot in New Jersey --- some at Livingston High, where Harlan Coben went to school.
“Billions” on Showtime: Bobby Axelrod is back on the scene (sort of) from a castle in England. And his son is trading crypto!
“The Chi” on Showtime: I am up to episode three of the new season. I find myself trying to figure out what drama will happen next.
“And Just Like That...” on Max: Season two has ended. My big thought: Yes, Carrie set a really nice table for dinner.
Paul McCartney’s new book that came out in June is called 1964: Eyes of the Storm. It brings readers 275 of Paul's photographs from the six cities of these intense, legendary months --- Liverpool, London, Paris, New York, Washington, D.C. and Miami --- and many never-before-seen portraits of John, George and Ringo. Here’s a fun video where folks from Miami talk about how well Paul captured their city.
Next week we are taking our annual summer break so Tom Donadio and I can have a moment to breathe without an update scheduled. I will be heading to my turquoise Cleopatra tent behind the house to read. I have a ridiculously big stack of books that I am dying to get to. I am not planning much more than lounging and floating while reading, except for my book group meeting on Wednesday night (may it please not rain!). After a summer where I was tied to my desk a lot more than I would have wanted, the chance to just head out to lunch with a friend, do some laps or sleep in will be wonderful. Or to dream up some new recipes. Okay, that's enough of a list.
One more set of thanks…to my husband, Tom, and my sons, Greg and Cory, for giving me the gift of time to do what I love. Twenty-seven years ago, Greg was six and Cory was one. I missed a lot of dinners during those years, but I hope that I somewhat made up for it with advance copies of books they were passionate about and events like launch parties for Harry Potter. I am so very grateful for their support.
Read on, and have a great two weeks.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
P.S. For those of you who shop online, if you use the store links that appear on our site for shopping, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound. As you read our reviews and features, we would appreciate your considering this as you buy!
Featured Review: AFTER THAT NIGHT by Karin Slaughter
AFTER THAT NIGHT by Karin Slaughter (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kathleen Early
Fifteen years ago, Sara Linton’s life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, Sara has remade her life. A successful doctor, engaged to a man she loves, she has finally managed to leave the past behind her. Until one evening, on call in the ER, everything changes. Sara battles to save a broken young woman who’s been brutally attacked. But as the investigation progresses, led by GBI Special Agent Will Trent, it becomes clear that Dani Cooper’s assault is uncannily linked to Sara’s. And the past isn’t going to stay buried forever. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: DEAD MOUNTAIN
by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
DEAD MOUNTAIN: A Nora Kelly Novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Cynthia Farrell
In 2008, nine mountaineers failed to return from a winter backpacking trip in the New Mexico mountains. At their final campsite, searchers found a bizarre scene: something had appeared at the door of their tent so terrifying that it impelled them to slash their way out and flee barefoot to certain death in a blizzard. Despite a diligent search, only six bodies were found, two violently crushed and inexplicably missing their eyes. The case, given the code name “Dead Mountain” by the FBI, was never solved. Now, two more bodies from the lost expedition are unexpectedly discovered in a cave, one a grisly suicide. Young FBI Agent Corrie Swanson teams up with archaeologist Nora Kelly to investigate what really happened on that fateful trip 15 years ago --- and to find the ninth victim. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE BREAKAWAY by Jennifer Weiner
THE BREAKAWAY by Jennifer Weiner (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Nikki Blonsky, Santino Fontana, Jenni Barber, Soneela Nankani and Joy Osmanski
Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern is mostly at peace with her plus-size body and is on track to marry her childhood sweetheart, Mark. Yet Abby can’t escape the feeling that something isn’t right…or the memories of one mind-blowing night spent with a man named Sebastian two years ago. So when Abby gets a last-minute call to lead a group bike trip, she’s happy to have time away from Mark and a chance to make up her mind. But on the first day, Abby is shocked to see Sebastian in the tour group. And then there’s a last-minute addition to the trip --- Abby’s mother, Eileen, whom Abby blames for a lifetime of insecurities she’s still trying to undo. Over the next two weeks, strangers become confidantes, hidden truths come to light, and a teenage girl with a secret will unite all the riders in surprising ways. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
EVERGREEN by Naomi Hirahara and THE CONNELLYS
OF COUNTY DOWN by Tracey Lange
EVERGREEN: A Japantown Mystery by Naomi Hirahara (Historical Mystery)
I read CLARK AND DIVISION two years ago and learned so much from the story of Naomi Hirahara’s character, Aki Ito, who moved to Chicago with her parents as part of a resettlement of Japanese people during World War II. In EVERGREEN, the family moves back to Los Angeles and finds that the places they once knew changed in their absence. There is an epitaph at the start of the novel that I recommend you read to get an idea of the enormity of what happened to these people. While I often think of these books as historical fiction, they slide easily into the class of mystery as each one has a murder that must be solved.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Naomi Hirahara.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on EVERGREEN.
THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN by Tracey Lange (Fiction)
THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN is Tracey Lange’s second novel, and just as she did so well with WE ARE THE BRENNANS two years ago, she is bringing readers a family saga. When the book opens, Tara is getting out of jail after serving an 18-month sentence on drug charges. This conviction means that she now cannot return to her job as a schoolteacher, which she loved. In fact, the entire time she was in prison, she was drawing pictures for the other inmates and herself. She leaves jail with the oddest person driving her home --- the police officer who arrested her. He always has wondered what she really was doing the night she was arrested, and he thinks she knows more than she is saying.
- 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
THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN.
Featured Review: LEARNED BY HEART
by Emma Donoghue
LEARNED BY HEART by Emma Donoghue (Historical Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Shiromi Arserio
Drawing on years of investigation and Anne Lister’s five-million-word secret journal, LEARNED BY HEART is the long-buried love story of Eliza Raine, an orphan heiress banished from India to England at age six, and Anne Lister, a brilliant, troublesome tomboy. Eliza and Anne meet at the Manor School for young ladies in York in 1805 when they are both 14. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: GOOD BAD GIRL by Alice Feeney
GOOD BAD GIRL by Alice Feeney (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Katherine Press and Stephanie Racine
Twenty years after a baby is stolen from a stroller, a woman is murdered in a care home. The two crimes are somehow linked, and a good bad girl may be the key to discovering the truth. Edith may have been tricked into a nursing home, but she’s planning her escape. Patience works there, cleaning messes and bonding with Edith, a kindred spirit. But Patience is lying to Edith about almost everything. Edith’s own daughter, Clio, won’t speak to her. And someone new is about to knock on Clio’s door…and their intentions aren’t good. With every reason to distrust each other, the women must solve a mystery with three suspects, two murders and one victim. If they do, they just might find out what happened to the baby who disappeared, the mother who lost her and the connections that bind them. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: END CREDITS by Patty Lin
END CREDITS: How I Broke Up with Hollywood by Patty Lin (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Patty Lin
What if achieving your professional dreams comes at too high a personal cost? That’s what screenwriter Patty Lin started to ask herself after years in the cutthroat TV industry. One minute she was a tourist, begging her way into the audience of “Late Night with David Letterman.” Just a few years later, she was an insider who --- through relentless hard work and sacrifice --- had earned a seat in the writers’ rooms of the hottest TV shows of all time. While writing for “Friends,” “Freaks and Geeks,” “Desperate Housewives” and “Breaking Bad,” Patty steeled herself against the indignities of a chaotic, abusive, male-dominated work culture, not just as one of the few women in the room, but as the only Asian person. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
LION & LAMB by James Patterson and Duane Swierczynski (Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Corey Carthew, Lisa Flanagan and Joshua Kane
Philadelphia is in a state of shock over the fate of two hometown heroes: Eagles starting quarterback Archie Hughes and his even more famous wife, Grammy-winning singer Francine Hughes. One spouse is murdered. The other is suspect #1. Even before the case hits the courtroom, it’s the hottest ticket in town. For the defense: Cooper Lamb, private investigator to the stars. For the prosecution: Veena Lion, a sleuth so bright she has to wear shades. Between them, they know every secret in Philadelphia. Together, they prove how two wrongs can make a right. They are Lion & Lamb. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
TERRACE STORY by Hilary Leichter (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Xe Sands
Annie, Edward and their young daughter, Rose, live in a cramped apartment. One night, without warning, they find a beautiful terrace hidden in their closet. It wasn’t there before, and it seems to only appear when their friend Stephanie visits. But every extra bit of space has a hidden cost, and the terrace sets off a seismic chain of events, forever changing the shape of their tiny home, and the shape of the world. TERRACE STORY follows the characters who suffer these repercussions and reverberations. How far can the mind travel when it’s looking for something that is gone? Where do we put our loneliness, longing and desire? What do we do with the emotions that seem to stretch beyond the body, beyond the boundaries of life and death? Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
THE APOLOGY by Jimin Han (Fiction/Magical Realism)
Audiobook available, read by Kathleen Kim
In South Korea, a 105-year-old woman receives a letter. Ten days later, she has been thrust into the afterlife, fighting to head off a curse that will otherwise devastate generations to come. Hak Jeonga has always shouldered the burden of upholding the family name. When she sent her daughter-in-law to America to cover up an illegitimate birth, she was simply doing what was needed to preserve the reputations of her loved ones. How could she have known that, decades later, this decision would return to haunt her --- threatening to tear apart her bond with her beloved son, her relationship with her infuriatingly insolent sisters, and the future of the family she has worked so hard to protect? Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
DIRECTIONS TO MYSELF: A Memoir of Four Years by Heidi Julavits (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Heidi Julavits
One summer, Heidi Julavits sees her son silhouetted by the sun and notices he is at the threshold of what she calls “the end times of childhood.” When did this happen?, she asks herself. Who is my son becoming --- and what qualifies me to be his guide? The next four years feel like uncharted waters. Rape allegations rock the university campus where Julavits teaches, unleashing questions of justice and accountability. She begins to wonder how to prepare her son to be the best possible citizen of the world he’s about to enter. Looking back to her childhood in Maine, Julavits takes us on an intellectual navigation of the self. Throughout, she intertwines her internal analysis with a wide-ranging exploration of what it means to raise a child in a time full of contradictions and moral complexity. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
THE BOOK OF SILVER LININGS by Nan Fischer (Romance)
Audiobook available, read by Eileen Stevens
While planning her wedding, Constance Sparks researches the history of her antique engagement ring and unearths the name of a man who might be connected to it, plus his tragic love story. When she finds a book of letters in her library’s old manuscript section written by the long-dead man, Constance is deeply touched by his words and leaves a note for him confessing her uncertainty and doubts. She’s shocked days later to find a response tucked among the pages. As the notes continue to arrive, Constance finds herself quickly falling in love with a ghost and putting her real-life relationship in jeopardy. Will a bond based on letters impossibly sent from the past derail her future? Or will Constance discover her voice and risk everything for the chance to somehow connect with her true soul mate? Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
A KILLER IN THE FAMILY by Gytha Lodge (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jessica Regan and John Hopkins
When the police found the first body, left on a bonfire in the forest, they worried it had the hallmarks of a serial killer. Now, as they find the second, they know for sure. Panic about the “Bonfire Killer” quickly spreads through the sedate suburban area of Southampton. But single mom Aisling Cooley has a lot to distract her: two beloved teenage sons and a quest to find her long-lost father, whom she hasn’t seen since she was a teenager. After much debate, she decides to upload her DNA to an ancestry website. When she gets a match, she is filled with an anxious excitement that her questions about her father’s disappearance from her life might finally be answered. But to her horror, it’s not her father who’s found her. It’s a detective. And they say her DNA is a close match for the Bonfire Killer. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
COME WITH ME by Erin Flanagan (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Tavia Gilbert
Gwen Maner is a widowed single mom, returning to her Ohio hometown with her daughter. And thanks to former acquaintance Nicola Kimmel, this is the start of Gwen’s new and promising life. Nicola has secured Gwen a lucrative job, rented Gwen a house on her same street, and won the heart of Gwen’s daughter. But she almost seems too good to be true. Gwen is sure Nicola is yearning only for someone to get close to. After all, according to Nicola, her marriage is falling apart, and her best friend just up and left one day. But how well does Gwen really know Nicola? What does Nicola ultimately want? As their lives become more entwined, Gwen begins to think that Nicola isn’t helping Gwen and her daughter but vying for control of every aspect of her life. And the consequences may be deadly. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
KING OF THE ARMADILLOS by Wendy Chin-Tanner (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Feodor Chin
Victor Chin’s life is turned upside down at the tender age of 15. Diagnosed with Hansen’s disease, otherwise known as leprosy, he’s forced to leave the familiar confines of his father’s laundry business in the Bronx --- the only home he’s known since emigrating from China with his older brother --- to quarantine alongside patients from all over the country at a federal institution in Carville. At first, Victor is scared not only of the disease, but of the confinement, and wants nothing more than to flee. Between treatments he dreams of escape and imagines his life as a fugitive. Soon, though, he finds a new sense of freedom far from home. But with the promise of a life-changing cure on the horizon, Victor’s time at Carville is running out, and he has some difficult choices to make. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.
DEADLY DEPTHS by John F. Dobbyn (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Harry Roger Williams III
Matthew Shane is a law professor in Salem, Massachusetts, where he enjoys a rewarding mentorship with Professor Barrington Holmes, a well-known archaeologist. So when Professor Holmes is found dead in his office and the police rule it a suicide, something doesn't sit right with Matthew. He becomes determined to find the true cause of Holmes’ death and bring closure to his widow. Matthew soon learns that Professor Holmes belonged to a group of notable archaeologists dubbed “The Monkey’s Paw,” who were all entangled in an expedition to find an unknown object of unprecedented historical and financial value. Each member had been given one piece of the instructions to find the object, but some of the men had encountered horrific twists of fate before the group could reunite to continue in their search. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.
Noteworthy Books Releasing on
August 29th and September 5th
Below are some notable titles releasing on August 29th and September 5th 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 weeks of August 28th and September 4th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
August 29th
THE BREAKAWAY by Jennifer Weiner (Fiction)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer Weiner comes a warmhearted and empowering new novel about love, family, friendship, secrets and a life-changing journey.
THE DEADLINE: Essays by Jill Lepore (Essays)
The astonishing essays collected in THE DEADLINE offer a prismatic portrait of Americans’ techno-utopianism, frantic fractiousness and unprecedented --- but armed --- aimlessness.
THE DISCREET CHARM OF THE BIG BAD WOLF: A Detective Varg Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery/Humor)
In this hilarious new novel in the bestselling Detective Varg series, Ulf Varg will need to resolve both a sensitive crime and his own delicate dilemma in the hopes of preserving the peace.
END CREDITS: How I Broke Up with Hollywood by Patty Lin (Memoir)
What if achieving your professional dreams comes at too high a personal cost? That’s what screenwriter Patty Lin started to ask herself after years in the cutthroat TV industry. This eye-opening story will resonate with anyone trying to please their parents, maintain a love life, and find their way in the world.
GOOD BAD GIRL by Alice Feeney (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Alice Feeney, our Queen of Twists and the bestselling author of DAISY DARKER and ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, returns with another thrilling mystery filled with drama and her trademark surprises.
HAPPINESS FALLS by Angie Kim (Mystery/Thriller)
When a father goes missing, his family’s desperate search leads them to question everything they know about him and one another.
LEARNED BY HEART by Emma Donoghue (Historical Romance)
This heartbreakingly gorgeous novel is based on the true story of two girls who fall secretly, deeply and dangerously in love at boarding school in 19th-century York.
September 5th
ALL THE DEAD SHALL WEEP by Charlaine Harris (Dark Fantasy/Thriller)
#1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Charlaine Harris returns with the fifth installment in her bestselling Gunnie Rose series. Sisters Lizbeth Rose and Felicia, as well as brother Eli and Peter, are reunited in Texoma only to break apart before the Wizard’s Ball held in San Diego, which will determine all their fates.
AMAZING GRACE ADAMS by Fran Littlewood (Fiction)
Bernadette, Eleanor Oliphant, Rosie, Ove...meet AMAZING GRACE ADAMS, the funny, touching, unforgettable story of an invisible everywoman pushed to the brink --- who finally pushes back.
COLEMAN HILL by Kim Coleman Foote (Historical Fiction)
COLEMAN HILL is the exhilarating story of two American families whose fates become intertwined in the wake of the Great Migration. Braiding fact and fiction, it is a remarkable, character-rich tour de force exploring the ties that bind three generations.
THE FRAUD by Zadie Smith (Historical Fiction)
From acclaimed and bestselling novelist Zadie Smith comes a kaleidoscopic work of historical fiction set against the legal trial that divided Victorian England, about who gets to tell their story --- and who gets to be believed.
HOLLY by Stephen King (Thriller/Horror)
Holly Gibney, one of Stephen King’s most compelling and ingeniously resourceful characters, returns in this thrilling novel to solve the gruesome truth behind multiple disappearances in a midwestern town.
THE LONGMIRE DEFENSE: A Longmire Mystery by Craig Johnson (Mystery)
Walt Longmire faces one of his most challenging crime scenes as he tries to reckon with the revelations of his last case where he confronted the ghosts of his past and questioned the very nature of justice and mercy in the hard country of the West.
NOT FOREVER, BUT FOR NOW by Chuck Palahniuk (Horror/Satire)
From the bestselling author of FIGHT CLUB comes a hilarious horror satire about a family of professional killers responsible for the most atrocious events in history and the young brothers who are destined to take over.
PAYBACK IN DEATH by J. D. Robb (Mystery/Thriller)
A retired colleague falls victim to a staged suicide in PAYBACK IN DEATH, the next police thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author J.D. Robb.
THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger (Historical Mystery)
In 1958, a small Minnesota town is rocked by the murder of its most powerful citizen, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances in this dazzling stand-alone novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THIS TENDER LAND and ORDINARY GRACE.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Angie Kim, Mick Herron, Hilary Leichter
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are five upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Tuesday, August 29th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Angie Kim will talk to special guest host Chris Bohjalian about her latest novel, HAPPINESS FALLS, a riveting page-turner and a deeply moving portrait of a family in crisis.
Wednesday, August 30th 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 Tracey Lange and Aimie K. Runyan about their latest novels: Tracey's THE CONNELLYS OF COUNTY DOWN and Aimie's A BAKERY IN PARIS.
Thursday, August 31st at 8pm ET: Women & Children First: Join Women & Children First for a virtual event celebrating the release of Hilary Leichter's new novel, TERRACE STORY. Hilary will be in conversation with the author of THE SCHOOL FOR GOOD MOTHERS, Jessamine Chan.
Wednesday, September 6th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors will talk to Elizabeth Acevedo about her first novel for adults, FAMILY LORE, which is August's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Friday, September 8th at 3pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Mick Herron will talk to special guest host John Sandford about his latest novel, THE SECRET HOURS, a gripping stand-alone spy thriller with a riveting reveal about a disastrous MI5 mission in Cold War Berlin --- an absolute must-read for Slough House fans.
"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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Melanie Benjamin (CALIFORNIA GOLDEN)
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William Kent Krueger (THE RIVER WE REMEMBER)
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Sarah Pekkanen (GONE TONIGHT)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
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Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, September 8th 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 August 25th to September 8th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of HOLLY by Stephen King and THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger.
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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