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And Just Like That, It's Fall!
And just like that, it’s fall. I swear that summer has fewer days than every other season. Last weekend, I was outside soaking up every moment of sunshine. This weekend, they are predicting wicked storms, which is not my idea of a fun weekend, especially since it’s been glorious all week. I am envisioning leaves scattered all over the pool!
Fall means lots of book festivals. We have a list of them here.
For those in the New Jersey area, the schedule for the Morristown Festival of Books has been posted. They have an excellent lineup, and I am happy to share that I am going to be moderating the three panels below on Saturday, October 7th. I will be attending a few others, along with Lisa Hickman on our team. If you are there, please come up and say hi!
On Tuesday night, I went to my first big book party/gathering of publishing friends since early 2020, as we celebrated the launch of John Sargent’s memoir, TURNING PAGES: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Publisher. It was so great to see so many people who these days I typically only communicate with by email or over the phone. It was a really fun evening!
I had the pleasure of chatting with John Sargent for my latest “Bookeporter Talks To” interview. John spent four decades in the world of publishing and concluded his career in 2020 at Macmillan when he was fired, which completely surprised people in the industry. For years he fought for what he believed was right for authors, readers and the “publishing ecosystem,” the latter of which is a phrase he used again and again.
But while TURNING PAGES is about his time in publishing, John touches on so much more. He explains how his boyhood in Wyoming influenced him as much as his time with bestselling authors. He also talks about the details in some of his essays, which include a lot of humor and self-deprecation. It’s an inside look at what really is a wonderful life.
Stay until the end to hear about the cover of the book and the image that was used there. It, like the book, is all about the details. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
On Wednesday night, we hosted a special “Bookaccino Live” Fall Preview evening program. I presented 53 books that are either out now or soon to be released this fall that we think you will enjoy reading over the next few months, or to consider for gift-giving over the holidays. Included are fiction, historical fiction, thrillers/mysteries, and memoirs/nonfiction. Click here to watch the event and here to see a list of the titles that I talked about. We are planning to do a Winter Reading evening program in January!
This is your last Weekly Update newsletter reminder to sign up for this month’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event, which will take place on Wednesday, September 27th at 8pm ET. Our guest will be Alice Elliott Dark, and she will be talking about her novel, FELLOWSHIP POINT, a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that is now available in paperback. Set across the arc of the 20th century, it’s the story of a lifelong friendship between two very different women with shared histories, divisive loyalties, hidden sorrows and 80 years of summers on a pristine point of land on the coast of Maine.
You can register for the event by clicking here. If you would like to ask Alice 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 “Alice” by Wednesday 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.
Our Mystery Mayhem Author Spotlight is back, and this time we are featuring VEIL OF DOUBT. It’s a historical mystery/thriller by Sharon Virts, whose debut, MASQUE OF HONOR, was a Bets On title two years ago.
Here’s the premise: Emily Lloyd, a young widow in Reconstruction-era Virginia, is accused of poisoning her three-year-old daughter, Maud. Her husband and three other children all died of mysterious illnesses, so when Maud succumbs to an unexplained malady, the town suspects foul play. Soon Mrs. Lloyd is charged not only with poisoning the child but also with murdering her children, her husband and her aunt. As details about the widow’s erratic behavior and her reclusive neighbors emerge, attorney Powell Harrison begins to suspect that an even more sinister truth might lurk beneath the family’s horrible fate and finds himself irresistibly drawn to the case.
We are giving 25 readers the opportunity to win a copy of VEIL OF DOUBT, which releases on October 10th. To enter, all you have to do is fill out this form by Friday, October 6th at noon ET. I had a wonderful time talking to Sharon about her first novel and look forward to catching up with her soon about this one!
While we’re not hosting a series of Fall Preview contests as we’ve done in the past, we do have one going up this Tuesday, September 26th at noon ET. We’ll be giving away DEVIL MAKES THREE by Ben Fountain, who many of you know as the award-winning, bestselling author of BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK. His latest is about greed, power and American complicity set in Haiti.
You can enter the contest here starting on Tuesday at noon ET. It will be open for just 24 hours, so you will need to act quickly! In the meantime, you can find out more about the book here and read an excerpt here.
The latest Oprah's Book Club pick is WELLNESS, Nathan Hill’s long-awaited second novel (following 2016’s THE NIX). Oprah describes the book as being “a modern take on love, marriage, and society’s obsession on improving almost every aspect of our lives.”
Leaping from the ’90s Chicago grunge scene to the Flint Hills of Kansas to the detox-dieting suburbs, WELLNESS tells the story of Jack and Elizabeth, two college students who fall in love at first sight. Over the years, they see themselves and their world change in ways neither of them could have imagined.
Nathan Hill appeared with Oprah on “CBS Mornings” earlier this week. He shared the inspiration for the novel and discussed some of the big questions it poses about life and love. Oprah explained what drew her to choose the book and what she learned from it about happiness. Click here to watch the interview.
Be sure to join Oprah, Nathan and Oprah's Book Club readers for a special discussion of WELLNESS on OprahDaily.com, following the reading schedule on this page.
According to our reviewer Megan Elliott, “Some of the book’s most striking passages explore the young Jack’s sad, lonely childhood in the middle of the beautiful but unnerving Kansas prairie. The windswept Flint Hills and Jack’s complicated, emotionally withholding parents come alive on the page… WELLNESS is at its most satisfying when its focus is on Jack and Elizabeth and all the ‘perfectly, stupidly, dreadfully elegant’ ways they make a mess of their lives.”
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
We are happy to be giving away WELLNESS in our latest Word of Mouth contest, along with the aforementioned THE MUSEUM OF FAILURES by Thrity Umrigar, which we will review next week. Let us know by Friday, October 6th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have the chance to win both these titles. I look forward to interviewing Thrity soon!
On September 30, 1913, the New York Times led with the headline that Rudolf Diesel --- the multi-millionaire inventor of the diesel engine and international superstar in the scientific community --- had disappeared from a passenger ship crossing from Belgium to England and was presumed dead. Author and historian Douglas Brunt reopens the hundred-year-old mystery of what really became of Rudolf Diesel in his new book, THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL.
Lorraine W. Shanley has this to say in her review: “Because of Diesel’s accomplishments and Brunt’s interest in history and politics, not to mention machines, readers are treated to a rich saga filled with physics, engineering and mechanics, as well as a social history of Europe and America at the turn of the century…. Readers will see the seeds of many modern-day issues discussed in these pages and will learn much about how the tumultuous beginnings of the 20th century set the course that we’re on today.” I am planning to interview Doug next month, and Lorraine will be contributing some questions as well!
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN: In Jessica Knoll’s highly anticipated new thriller, which will be a Bets On pick, two women from opposite sides of the country are brought together by violent acts of the same man. They become allies and sisters in arms as they pursue the justice that otherwise would elude them. Don’t miss my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.
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COLEMAN HILL: In 1916, during the early days of the Great Migration, Celia Coleman and Lucy Grimes flee the racism and poverty of their homes in the post–Civil War South for the “Promised Land” of Vauxhall, New Jersey. But the North possesses its own challenges and bigotries that will shape the fates of the women and their families over the next 70 years in Kim Coleman Foote’s much-talked-about debut novel.
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NORMAL RULES DON’T APPLY: In Kate Atkinson’s dazzling collection of 11 interconnected stories, nothing is quite as it seems. We meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; a lost man who bets on a horse that may --- or may not --- have spoken to him.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
My latest Bets On pick is THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger, which we featured over the last couple of weeks in our New Release Spotlight. Find out why I'm betting you'll love this book here. I am hoping to interview Kent next month when it appears that he has a break on his nationwide book tour.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
Our new poll asks which of 25 paperbacks releasing in September you have read or are planning to read. Click here to cast your votes by Friday, October 6th at noon ET.
In our previous poll, we listed 30 fiction titles that are being published this month for the first time and asked which of them, if any, you are looking forward to reading. At 55%, THE RIVER WE REMEMBER was the runaway leader, followed by MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT by Nina Simon (30%), BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS by Mary Kay Andrews (26%), AMAZING GRACE ADAMS by Fran Littlewood (25%), and HOLLY by Stephen King (23%). Click here for all the results.
The shortlist for this year’s Booker Prize was announced this week. The six titles are THE BEE STING by Paul Murray, WESTERN LANE by Chetna Maroo, PROPHET SONG by Paul Lynch, THIS OTHER EDEN by Paul Harding, IF I SURVIVE YOU by Jonathan Escoffery, and STUDY FOR OBEDIENCE by Sarah Bernstein. The winner will be revealed at an event at Old Billingsgate, London, on November 26th.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Joan wrote, “I always enjoy your author interviews, but I think the one you did with John Sargent was THE best ever. I can’t wait to read his book, and I doubt (although I follow many bookish posts on Facebook, Instagram, etc.) that this would have come across my radar if I didn’t subscribe to your newsletter. I thank (and blame) you for my impossible TBR list! Keep up the good work, and belated Happy Anniversary.”
Abby wrote, “So excited you will be at the Morristown Festival of Books. I'm a longtime Morristown resident. If you have not been there before, it's a terrific event. Hoping to attend one or more of your panels. So many wonderful authors!”
Adam wrote, “Thank you for spotlighting the documentary about Joyce Carol Oates. For years I have tried to keep up with her voracious writing while teaching, and I believe the only insight I had into her was when her husband passed away. YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS from 1987 remains embedded in my mind and is a frequent recommendation.
Phyllis wrote, “Whenever I register for a B&N interview that I read about on Bookreporter, I always feel bad that your newsletter is not one of my choices as to where I heard about the author interview. How can I give you credit? Thanks for keeping me informed!” We will look into this!
Barbara wrote, “I just love your weekly newsletter and really look forward to reading it every Saturday. I also love all of your interviews and events. You and your team are incredible, and I recommend your website to every one of my reading friends.
“I think it's great that you introduce us to new books we can anticipate. However, since I borrow my books from the library, I am rarely able to get new releases. I hope you will periodically list books that you recommend that are at least a year old. Maybe twice a year? Your ‘Bookaccino Live’ Summer Reading Suggestions list has been invaluable to me. I am slowly working my way through it. I also love that you include pop culture in your newsletter. It alerts me about what to look for on streaming services. Did you know that Netflix will be releasing ‘All the Light We Cannot See’ in November? They showed the first episode followed by a conversation between the author and the director. It seemed very authentic to Anthony Doerr's book. Thanks again for your awesome work!!!”
We will discuss internally how we can handle a list of what we have reviewed in the last year. I did see the preview of “All the Light We Cannot See” and included a promo for that during Wednesday evening’s Fall Preview presentation. It really was terrific, and we will be writing about it more when it premieres on November 2nd.
Speaking of which, we got a few lovely notes about Wednesday evening’s event.
Joan wrote, “I was one of the lucky participants in last evening’s book preview. As always, you and Tom do a wonderful job, and your presentation is just great.” Patricia shared, “Excellent presentation. You were very quick without seeming rushed at all. Thank you and Tom for this evening.” Linda said, “I really enjoyed the broadcast last night. This was my first but will not be my last. Historical fiction is my favorite genre thus far.” Helen wrote, “Carol and Tom, it really was a wonderful program. Thank you for doing this.”
“The Super Models” on Apple TV+: I spent 17 years at Conde Nast working at Mademoiselle magazine during the heyday of the Super Models. Seeing Christy Turlington, Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell and Linda Evangelista was like a trip down memory lane for me. I recognized photographers, stylists and editors, and I think back on the days when the cover models were not celebrities. I remember when many of these women got their first covers. This show is a great look inside the fashion and beauty business of the past!
“The Morning Show” on Apple TV+: The latest two episodes will make you never want to send an email or a message with anything questionable in it again!
“Virgin River” on Netflix: This season was completely fun, and two holiday-themed episodes will premiere on November 30th.
My dad's 94th birthday is today, and we all are getting together tonight to celebrate him. My sister is flying in, and we are going out to dinner. “Table of 10, please!” And I want to be sure we take photos! Husband Tom may or may not be off to play golf and go fishing for part of the weekend. He remains optimistic and clearly sees the weather forecast differently than me.
As for me, I have lots of reading to do, and luckily that is not weather-sensitive.
For those observing Yom Kippur, have a good fast.
Read on, and have a great week!
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: WELLNESS by Nathan Hill
Oprah’s Latest Book Club Pick
WELLNESS by Nathan Hill (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Ari Fliakos
When Jack and Elizabeth meet as college students in the '90s, the two quickly join forces and hold on tight, each eager to claim a place in Chicago’s thriving underground art scene with an appreciative kindred spirit. Fast-forward 20 years to married life, and alongside the challenges of parenting, they encounter cults disguised as mindfulness support groups, polyamorous would-be suitors, Facebook wars, and something called Love Potion Number Nine. For the first time, Jack and Elizabeth struggle to recognize each other, and the no-longer-youthful dreamers are forced to face their demons. In the process, Jack and Elizabeth must undertake separate, personal excavations, or risk losing the best thing in their lives: each other. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
- 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:
BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN by Jessica Knoll
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN by Jessica Knoll (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Sutton Foster and Imani Jade Powers, with Corey Brill and Chris Henry Coffey
BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN opens on a Saturday night in 1978, hours before a soon-to-be-infamous murderer descends upon a Florida sorority house with deadly results. The lives of those who survive --- including sorority president and key witness Pamela Schumacher --- are forever changed. Across the country, Tina Cannon is convinced her missing friend was targeted by the man papers refer to as the All-American Sex Killer --- and that he’s struck again. Determined to find justice, the two join forces as their search for answers leads to a final, shocking confrontation. Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in next week's newsletter.
New Mystery Mayhem Author Spotlight & Contest:
VEIL OF DOUBT by Sharon Virts
Enter to Win One of 25 Copies of the Book,
Releasing October 10th
When a mother is charged with murder in a town already convinced of her guilt, can defense attorney Powell Harrison find truth and justice in a legal system where innocence is not presumed? We have 25 copies of VEIL OF DOUBT by Sharon Virts to give away to those who would like to read the book, which releases on October 10th. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, October 6th at noon ET.
VEIL OF DOUBT by Sharon Virts (Historical Mystery/Thriller)
Emily Lloyd, a young widow in Reconstruction-era Virginia, is accused of poisoning her three-year-old daughter, Maud. It isn’t the first death in her home --- her husband and three other children all died of mysterious illnesses --- so when Maud succumbs to an unexplained malady, the town suspects foul play. Soon Mrs. Lloyd is charged not only with poisoning the child but also with murdering her children, her husband and her aunt.
Enter Powell Harrison, a soft-spoken, brilliant attorney who recently returned to his Virginia hometown to help his brother manage their late father’s practice. Approached to assist in Mrs. Lloyd’s defense, Harrison initially declines, worried that an infanticide case might tarnish their family’s reputation. But as details about the widow’s erratic behavior and her reclusive neighbors emerge, Harrison begins to suspect that an even more sinister truth might lurk beneath the family’s horrible fate and finds himself irresistibly drawn to the case.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Sharon Virts' bio.
- Click here to visit Sharon Virts' website.
- Connect with Sharon Virts on Facebook and Instagram.
Click here to read more in our Mystery Mayhem
Author Spotlight and enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger
THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger (Historical Mystery)
THE RIVER WE REMEMBER is one of my three favorite books of the year and the best of William Kent Krueger’s three stand-alone titles. The setting in Kent’s books always becomes a character, and his latest is no exception. Here we start with a river, where the lifeless body of Jimmy Quinn --- a man with a lot of money and countless enemies --- has been found. He has been dead long enough for the catfish to have discovered him.
It’s 1958, and those who fought in World War II still are grappling with the effects of war as they move on with their lives. This backstory is critical to the storytelling. Sheriff Brody Dern is one of those men, as is Connie Graff, the former sheriff. Kent stretches his characters here and gives them the chance to step outside typically acceptable behaviors. As you read, you will see what I mean. Through this, he makes them even more multidimensional than we have seen in prior works.
- 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 for readers' comments about the book.
- Visit William Kent Krueger's website and see his book tour schedule.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary.
Featured Review: THE MYSTERIOUS CASE
OF RUDOLF DIESEL by Douglas Brunt
THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I by Douglas Brunt (History)
Audiobook available, read by Scott Brick
September 29, 1913. The steamship Dresden is halfway between Belgium and England. On board is one of the most famous men in the world, Rudolf Diesel, whose new internal combustion engine is on the verge of revolutionizing global industry forever. But Diesel never arrives at his destination. He vanishes during the night, and headlines around the world wonder if it was an accident, suicide or murder. In THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL, New York Times bestselling author Douglas Brunt reopens the case and provides an astonishing new conclusion about Diesel’s fate. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: COLEMAN HILL by Kim Coleman Foote
COLEMAN HILL by Kim Coleman Foote (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Bahni Turpin and Dion Graham
In 1916, during the early days of the Great Migration, Celia Coleman and Lucy Grimes flee the racism and poverty of their homes in the South for the “Promised Land” of Vauxhall, New Jersey. But the North possesses its own challenges and bigotries that will shape the fates of the women and their families over the next 70 years. Within 10 years of arriving in Vauxhall, both Celia and Lucy’s husbands are dead, and they turn to one another for support. Encouraged by their mothers’ friendship, their children’s lives become enmeshed as well. As the children grow into adolescence, two are caught in an impulsive act of impropriety, and Celia and Lucy find themselves at irreconcilable odds over who’s to blame. The ensuing fallout has dire consequences that reverberate through the next two generations of their families. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
- 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: NORMAL RULES DON'T APPLY
by Kate Atkinson
NORMAL RULES DON'T APPLY: Stories by Kate Atkinson (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by Paterson Joseph
In NORMAL RULES DON’T APPLY, nothing is quite as it seems. We meet a queen who makes a bargain she cannot keep; a secretary who watches over the life she has just left; a lost man who bets on a horse that may --- or may not --- have spoken to him. Everything that readers love about the novels of Kate Atkinson is here: the inventiveness, the verbal felicity, the sharp observations of human nature, and the deeply satisfying emotional wallop. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Coming Tuesday, September 26th:
Our 24-Hour Fall Preview Contest for
DEVIL MAKES THREE by Ben Fountain
The award-winning author of BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK has penned a brilliant and propulsive new novel about greed, power and American complicity set in Haiti. In DEVIL MAKES THREE, Ben Fountain's depiction of blood politics, the machinations of power and a country in the midst of upheaval is urgently and insistently resonant.
On the day of its release, Tuesday, September 26th at noon ET, we will be hosting a special Fall Preview contest where five readers will win a copy of the book. The giveaway will be open for just 24 hours, so you will need to act quickly!
DEVIL MAKES THREE by Ben Fountain (Fiction)
Haiti, 1991. When a violent coup d’état leads to the fall of President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, American expat Matt Amaker is forced to abandon his idyllic, beachfront scuba business. With the rise of a brutal military dictatorship and an international embargo threatening to destroy even the country’s most powerful players, some are looking to gain an advantage in the chaos --- and others are just looking to make it through another day. Desperate for money --- and survival --- Matt teams up with his best friend and business partner, Alix Variel. They set their sights on legendary shipwrecks that have been rumored to contain priceless treasures off a remote section of Haiti’s southern coast. However, their ambition and exploration of these disastrous wrecks come with a cascade of ill-fated incidents.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here to read Ben Fountain's bio.
Click here to read more about the book --- and enter the contest beginning Tuesday, September 26th at noon ET.
ROUGE by Mona Awad (Gothic Horror/Dark Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Sophie Amoss
When her estranged mother Noelle mysteriously dies, Belle finds herself back in Southern California, dealing with her mother’s considerable debts and grappling with lingering questions about her death. The stakes escalate when a strange woman in red appears at the funeral, offering a tantalizing clue about her mother’s demise, followed by a cryptic video about a transformative spa experience. With the help of a pair of red shoes, Belle is lured into the barbed embrace of La Maison de Méduse, the same lavish, culty spa to which her mother was devoted. There, Belle discovers the frightening secret behind her (and her mother’s) obsession with the mirror --- and the great shimmering depths (and demons) that lurk on the other side of the glass. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
BLACK SHEEP by Rachel Harrison (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Jeremy Carlisle Parker
Vesper Wright left home at 18 and never looked back --- mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn’t return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep. Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin, Rosie. It’s to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn’t be the first time Vesper has been given special treatment. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen. When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a terrifying secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE BOOK OF (MORE) DELIGHTS: Essays by Ross Gay (Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Ross Gay
In Ross Gay’s new collection of small, daily wonders, again written over the course of a year, one of America’s most original voices continues his ongoing investigation of delight. For Gay, what delights us is what connects us, what gives us meaning --- from the joy of hearing a nostalgic song blasting from a passing car to the pleasure of refusing the “nefarious” scannable QR code menus, from the tiny dog he fell hard for to his mother baking a dozen kinds of cookies for her grandchildren. As always, Gay revels in the natural world --- sweet potatoes being harvested, a hummingbird carousing in the beebalm, a sunflower growing out of a wall around the cemetery, the shared bounty from a neighbor’s fig tree --- and the trillion mysterious ways this glorious earth delights us. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
THE DEADLINE: Essays by Jill Lepore (Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Jill Lepore
Few, if any, historians have brought such insight, wisdom and empathy to public discourse as Jill Lepore. Arriving at The New Yorker in 2005, Lepore brought a transporting freshness and a literary vivacity to everything from profiles of long-dead writers to urgent constitutional analysis to an unsparing scrutiny of the woeful affairs of the nation itself. The astonishing essays collected in THE DEADLINE offer a prismatic portrait of Americans’ techno-utopianism, frantic fractiousness and unprecedented --- but armed --- aimlessness. From lockdowns and race commissions to Bratz dolls and bicycles, to the losses that haunt Lepore’s life, these essays again and again cross what she calls the deadline, the “river of time that divides the quick from the dead.” Reviewed by Pauline Finch.
THE TAKEN ONES: A Steinbeck and Reed Thriller by Jess Lourey (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Carly Robins
Summer 1980: Despite the local superstition that the Bendy Man haunts the woods, three girls go into a Minnesota forest. Only one comes out, dead silent, her memory gone. The mystery of the Taken Ones captures the nation. Summer 2022: Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a disturbing homicide --- a woman buried alive, clutching a heart charm necklace belonging to one of the vanished girls. Each has ties to the original case in ways they’re reluctant to share. As Van and Harry connect the crimes of the past and the present, Van struggles with memories of her own nightmarish childhood --- and the fear that uncovering the truth of the Taken Ones will lead her down a path from which she, too, may never return. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
CATCH HER DEATH by Melinda Leigh (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Christina Traister
After Sheriff Bree Taggert’s takedown of cold-blooded murderer Travis Ekin, his family vows revenge. Travis’ mother and brothers are every bit as violent, and Bree is in their crosshairs. To complicate matters, Bree’s best friend, Dana Romano, walks into her date’s home and finds him shot in the chest. Dana tangles with an unidentified intruder, but he escapes through the back door. The crime scene is in another police department’s jurisdiction, and the lead investigator focuses on Dana as the prime suspect. While Bree and investigator Matt Flynn work off the books to clear Dana, Bree’s family receives deadly threats. A second dead body and a shocking piece of evidence link the two cases. Bree and Matt must find the killer fast --- before either case takes another deadly turn. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
FOREVER HOME by Graham Norton (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Graham Norton
Carol is a divorced teacher living in a small town in Ireland. A second chance at love brings her unexpected connection and belonging --- and sparks a flurry of speculation. What does a woman like her see in a man like that? What happened to his wife who abandoned him and his children all those years ago? Carol and Declan know their relationship is the talk of the town, but the gossip only serves to bring the couple closer. When Declan becomes ill, their relationship falters. His children are untrusting and cruel, and Carol is forced to leave their beloved home and move back with her parents. It seems there are secrets in Declan's past, strange rumors that were never confronted, and suddenly the house they shared takes on a more sinister significance that affects them all. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
WHAT KIND OF MOTHER by Clay McLeod Chapman (Supernatural Horror/Domestic Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Megan Tusing and Joe Hempel
After striking out on her own as a teen mom, Madi Price is forced to return to her hometown of Brandywine, Virginia, with her 17-year-old daughter. With nothing to her name, she scrapes together a living as a palm reader at the local farmers market. It’s there that she connects with old high school flame Henry McCabe, now a reclusive local fisherman whose infant son, Skyler, went missing five years ago. Everyone in town is sure Skyler is dead, but when Madi reads Henry’s palm, she’s haunted by strange and disturbing visions that suggest otherwise. As she follows the thread of these visions, Madi discovers a terrifying nightmare waiting at the center of the labyrinth --- and it’s coming for everyone she holds dear. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
DAUGHTER OF THE DRAGON: Anna May Wong's Rendezvous with American History by Yunte Huang (Biography)
Born into the steam and starch of a Chinese laundry, Anna May Wong (1905–1961) emerged from turn-of-the-century Los Angeles to become Old Hollywood’s most famous Chinese American actress, a screen siren who captivated global audiences and signed her publicity photos --- with a touch of defiance --- “Orientally yours.” Now, more than a century after her birth, Yunte Huang narrates Wong’s tragic life story, retracing her journey from Chinatown to silent-era Hollywood, and from Weimar Berlin to decadent, prewar Shanghai, and capturing American television in its infancy. As Huang shows, Wong’s rendezvous with history features a remarkable parade of characters, including a smitten Walter Benjamin and (an equally smitten) Marlene Dietrich. Reviewed by Roberta O’Hara.
PERFECTLY NICE NEIGHBORS by Kia Abdullah (Domestic Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Tania Rodrigues
Salma Khatun is hopeful about Blenheim, the suburban development into which she, her husband and their son have just moved. The Bangladeshi family needs a fresh start, and Blenheim feels like just the place. Soon after they move in, Salma spots her white neighbor, Tom Hutton, ripping out the anti-racist banner her son put in the front garden. Avoiding confrontation, Salma takes the banner inside and puts it in her window. But the next morning, she wakes up to find her window smeared with paint. When she does speak to Tom, battle lines are drawn between the two families. As racial and social tensions escalate and the stakes rise, it’s clear that a reckoning is coming…and someone is going to get hurt. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
MY NAME IS IRIS by Brando Skyhorse (Dystopian Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Alejandra Reynoso
After years of drifting apart, Iris Prince and her husband are going through a surprisingly drama-free divorce. It feels like her life is finally exactly what she wants it to be. Then, one beautiful morning, she looks outside her kitchen window --- and sees that a wall has appeared in her front yard overnight. Meanwhile, a Silicon Valley startup has launched a high-tech wrist wearable called "the Band." Pitched as a convenient, eco-friendly tool to help track local utilities and replace driver's licenses and IDs, the Band is available only to those who can prove parental citizenship. Suddenly, Iris, a proud second-generation Mexican American, is now of "unverifiable origin." Amid a climate of fear and hate-fueled violence, Iris must confront how far she'll go to protect what matters to her most. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on September 25th and 26th
Below are some notable titles releasing on September 25th and 26th 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 September 25th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
September 25th
12 MONTHS TO LIVE by James Patterson and Mike Lupica (Thriller)
Tough-as-nails criminal defense attorney Jane Smith is hip-deep in the murder trial of the century. She’s also fallen in love with a wonderful guy. But Jane doesn’t have much time. She’s just received a terminal diagnosis giving her 12 months. Unless she’s murdered before her expiration date.
September 26th
THE ARMOR OF LIGHT by Ken Follett (Historical Fiction)
This long-awaited sequel to A COLUMN OF FIRE heralds a new dawn for Kingsbridge, England, where progress clashes with tradition, class struggles push into every part of society, and war in Europe engulfs the entire continent and beyond.
BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS by Mary Kay Andrews (Romance)
From Mary Kay Andrews, the New York Times bestselling author of THE HOMEWRECKERS and THE SANTA SUIT, comes a novella celebrating love and the warm, glittering charm of the holiday season.
DEVIL MAKES THREE by Ben Fountain (Fiction)
From the award-winning, bestselling author of BILLY LYNN'S LONG HALFTIME WALK comes a brilliant and propulsive new novel about greed, power and American complicity set in Haiti.
THE FRAGILE THREADS OF POWER by V.E. Schwab (Historical Fantasy/Adventure)
V.E. Schwab, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LaRUE, opens another door to a new fantasy series set in the dazzling world of Shades of Magic.
KILLING THE WITCHES: The Horror of Salem, Massachusetts by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard (History)
KILLING THE WITCHES revisits one of the most frightening and inexplicable episodes in American history: the events of 1692 and 1693 in Salem Village, Massachusetts.
THE MUSEUM OF FAILURES by Thrity Umrigar (Fiction)
THE MUSEUM OF FAILURES is an immersive story about family secrets and the power of forgiveness from the bestselling author of HONOR, a Reese’s Book Club pick.
THE RUNNING GRAVE: A Cormoran Strike Novel by Robert Galbraith (Mystery)
In this seventh installment of Robert Galbraith’s Strike series, detective duo Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott must rescue a man ensnared in the trap of a dangerous cult.
THICKER THAN WATER: A Memoir by Kerry Washington (Memoir)
Award-winning actor, director, producer and activist Kerry Washington shares the "exquisitely moving” journey of her life so far (Isabel Wilkerson) and the bravely intimate story of discovering her truth.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Jessica Knoll, Mary Kay Andrews, Alice Elliott Dark
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.
Monday, September 25th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome the New York Times bestselling author of LUCKIEST GIRL ALIVE, Jessica Knoll, for a live virtual discussion of BRIGHT YOUNG WOMEN as part of the B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. Jessica will be in conversation with the New York Times bestselling author of THE PARIS WIFE, Paula McLain.
Wednesday, September 27th at 7pm ET: "Friends and Fiction": The "Friends and Fiction" authors --- Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey and Patti Callahan Henry --- will celebrate the publication of Mary Kay's latest book, BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS, a novella celebrating love and the warm, glittering charm of the holiday season.
Wednesday, September 27th at 8pm ET: "Bookaccino Live" Book Group: Carol Fitzgerald will talk to Alice Elliott Dark about her novel, FELLOWSHIP POINT, a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick that is now available in paperback. Alice 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 Alice a question on camera, please send Carol an email with the subject line “Alice” by the 27th at noon ET.
Friday, September 29th at 1pm ET: Simon & Schuster's Book Club Favorites: Alice Hoffman will join members of the Simon & Schuster team to discuss her latest novel, THE INVISIBLE HOUR, which is September's pick for S&S's Book Club Favorites.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers a long-form, in-depth author interview every week. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)
Here is our latest interview:
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John Sargent (TURNING PAGES: The Adventures and Misadventures of a Publisher)
Video | Podcast
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Ashley Audrain (THE WHISPERS)
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Douglas Brunt (THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL: Genius, Power, and Deception on the Eve of World War I)
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Tess Gerritsen (THE SPY COAST)
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William Kent Krueger (THE RIVER WE REMEMBER)
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Jean Kwok (THE LEFTOVER WOMAN)
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Thrity Umrigar (THE MUSEUM OF FAILURES)
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Sharon Virts (VEIL OF DOUBT)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll:
September Paperback Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following titles releasing in paperback in September have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
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BLOOD MOON by Heather Graham and Jon Land
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BURNING QUESTIONS: Essays and Occasional Pieces, 2004 to 2022, by Margaret Atwood
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THE CABINET OF DR. LENG: A Pendergast Novel, by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
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CAPTIVE: An Eve Duncan Novel, by Iris Johansen
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THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT by Debbie Macomber
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DON’T FEAR THE REAPER by Stephen Graham Jones
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ELIZABETH TAYLOR: The Grit & Glamour of an Icon, by Kate Andersen Brower
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THE FERVOR by Alma Katsu
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HELL AND BACK: A Longmire Mystery, by Craig Johnson
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HOW NOT TO DROWN IN A GLASS OF WATER by Angie Cruz
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KILLING THE KILLERS: The Secret War Against Terrorists, by Bill O'Reilly and Martin Dugard
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LEARNING TO TALK: Stories, by Hilary Mantel
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LUCY BY THE SEA by Elizabeth Strout
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MAD HONEY by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
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THE MATCHMAKER’S GIFT by Lynda Cohen Loigman
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THE MITFORD AFFAIR by Marie Benedict
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THE MOSQUITO BOWL: A Game of Life and Death in World War II, by Buzz Bissinger
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THE ORACLE OF MARACOOR by Gregory Maguire
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THE PASSENGER by Cormac McCarthy
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THE QUEEN: Her Life, by Andrew Morton
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RIGHTEOUS PREY: A Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers Novel, by John Sandford
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THE SONG OF THE CELL: An Exploration of Medicine and the New Human, by Siddhartha Mukherjee
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STELLA MARIS by Cormac McCarthy
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A TRUTH TO LIE FOR: An Elena Standish Novel, by Anne Perry
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THE WINNERS by Fredrik Backman
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, October 6th 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 September 22nd to October 6th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of WELLNESS by Nathan Hill and THE MUSEUM OF FAILURES by Thrity Umrigar.
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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