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As this is our last Weekly Update newsletter of 2023, I want to give you a bit of an update on what happened this year. Consider it our version of the family holiday card.
We hosted 11 “Bookaccino Live” book preview events and eight “Bookaccino Live” Book Group programs, and I conducted 40 “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews. We have 583,540 video and podcast views, and 4,421 subscribers to our YouTube channel. We reviewed 678 books, and we have enjoyed your responses to our polls, as well as your comments on Word of Mouth.
Last night, I recorded a video (which we also turned into a podcast) recapping my 44 Bookreporter.com Bets On selections, which was a fun trip down memory lane. I loved the chance to share these books with our readers. I read a lot more; I started others that I did not finish. And there are easily 50 books that I wish I had had time to read. It was such a great year of reading. Many books that I talked about never hit bestseller lists; it was that kind of year. But we trust that our readers know to look beyond those lists for what to read.
We also managed more than 100 websites that we have built for authors --- and we worked with more than a dozen of them on their own newsletters.
On Tuesday, Tom, Lisa and Victoria are coming out to my house for lunch and a brainstorming/planning session. Then we are heading out to dinner before we all go our separate ways for the holidays at the end of the week (I wish Melanie, our Word of Mouth editor, could join us from Florida). We all have not been together since last Christmas. For those who say that remote work does not really foster camaraderie and new ideas, it works for us, maybe because we are small and mighty. We do talk by phone most days and Slack chat each other all day long. I am lucky to work with such a brilliant team.
Right before Thanksgiving, I thanked the Editorial team, our reviewers and our readers...and I meant every word. Yowser, I really hit the trifecta with all three of these groups. Saturday morning usually yields a number of reader emails for me to answer. If I did not get back to you yet, I promise to try to find your note and reply to you during the break.
For all of you who have donated to our GoFundMe campaign, thank you! I owe a LOT of notes there as well, which I have not had time to do. Please know that I am very appreciative of EVERY donation that is made. Your support really helps! This was not an easy year.
We have grown our readership over the past year, and we also have seen wonderful numbers on those who open our newsletters, read --- and click! Since promotional dollars coming our way are based on those three things, we thank you for this support.
We have a lot of ideas for 2024 even before we sit down to brainstorm on Tuesday. If you have suggestions for us, send them my way with the subject line “Suggestion.” Some of our best ideas have come from our readers.
But we’re leaving you here with a huge lineup to enjoy.
May we ask that you share the site --- and this newsletter --- over the holiday? It would be a brilliant gift to us if you could do that.
We wrap up our “Bookreporter Talks To” series for the year with my final three interviews of 2023.
First up is Nita Prose, who joined me to talk about her latest book, THE MYSTERY GUEST. This is a follow-up to THE MAID, which was a “Good Morning America” Book Club pick when it released in January 2022. Like her debut, THE MYSTERY GUEST is a Bets On selection.
Nita shares the challenges of writing a second novel featuring the same character and how she worked to be sure that the story here was as strong as what she delivered in THE MAID. She explains what this book reveals about her character Molly’s background while still moving the story forward. Until recently, Nita was the Editorial Director at Simon & Schuster Canada, and she talks about why she chose to step down from this position to be a full-time writer. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
I had so much fun talking to Fiona Davis about THE SPECTACULAR, which also is a Bets On title. Radio City Music Hall is the latest iconic New York City building that Fiona explores. This time, she layers in an additional element as she unearths a story about a habitual bomber who terrorized the city for more than a decade, targeting well-known locations.
A Rockette reached out to Fiona with the idea for the book, and she researched it from there. Adding the bomber pegged the book as a thriller, and Fiona discusses how she approached working to keep the action advancing. She also talks about her upcoming Audible original and the subject of her 2025 novel. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
I also had the pleasure of catching up with Gilly Macmillan, whose latest thriller, THE MANOR HOUSE, is a Bets On selection as well. The premise is a fun one as a couple wins the lottery, and they set out to spend their winnings wisely. They first build a beautiful glass house with all the bells and whistles that one might want. It’s just brilliant. But mere pages into the book, one of them is found dead in the swimming pool. What happened? Was it foul play, or was it an accident?
This is a book with so many twists and turns, and Gilly had lots of fun writing them. Plus, all that tech talk as the house performs as planned (or does not) just adds to the intrigue. We talk about yoga for a bit. Also, Gilly shares that there is one question I brought up that no one else has asked her about. And it just might surprise you! Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
In addition to these interviews, we have plenty of exciting year-end features to share with you in this newsletter.
Our BIG Year-End Giveaway
First up is our 13th Annual End-of-the-Year Contest, where one Grand Prize winner will be awarded all 44(!) of my Bets On picks from 2023, while 11 other winners will receive four of these titles.
Some of the books you may win include BEWARE THE WOMAN by Megan Abbott, EVERYONE HERE IS LYING by Shari Lapena, GO AS A RIVER by Shelley Read, THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE by Rachel Beanland, THE LIE MAKER by Linwood Barclay, THE MUSEUM OF FAILURES by Thrity Umrigar, and YELLOWFACE by R. F. Kuang. To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, January 12th at noon ET.
If you would like to know more about these books, be sure to check out the aforementioned video or podcast where I talk about each of my 44 picks.
My last four Bets On picks of the year are ABSOLUTION by Alice McDermott, THE BERRY PICKERS by Amanda Peters (more on this one later), CLASS: A Memoir of Motherhood, Hunger, and Higher Education by Stephanie Land, and THE OTHER MOTHERS by Katherine Faulkner. These commentaries will appear Monday on the Bookreporter homepage, and we will link to them in Tuesday's “On Sale This Week” newsletter.
Our Reviewers Choose Their Favorite Books of the Year
Next up are our Reviewer Picks. We look forward to this feature every year as we always want to know which books appealed to our reviewers the most over the last 12 months. Be sure to take a look at their fiction and nonfiction favorites here. See which of their selections you agree or disagree with --- and which titles you may want to add to your 2024 reading lists. I love checking out these lists!
As many of you know, eight of these reviewers --- Kate Ayers, Harvey Freedenberg, Pamela Kramer, Rebecca Munro, Eileen Zimmerman Nicol, Ray Palen, Norah Piehl and Stuart Shiffman --- appeared on Zoom last week to talk about their top three books of the year. In case you missed this special “Bookaccino Live” event, you can watch it here or listen to the podcast here. A list of all the books that were presented, along with their covers, can be found here.
“Best Of” 2023 Lists
For more highlights from 2023, click here for a number of “Best Of” lists that we’ve compiled from around the web --- including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, Time, Vanity Fair, Publishers Weekly, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, NPR and Oprah Daily.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
For our final THREE poll questions of the year, we want to know how many print books and e-books you’ve read in 2023, as well as how many audiobooks you’ve listened to. Click here to cast your votes.
Our previous poll asked if you will be giving books as gifts this holiday season. 71% of you are planning to give hardcovers or paperbacks, while 27% intend to give a gift card that will allow the recipient to buy a print book, e-book or audiobook. Click here for all the results.
Authors Blog About Their Favorite Bookish Holiday Memories
Our 16th Annual Holiday Author Blog series came to a close this week. Many thanks to this year’s participants for sharing with us their memories of giving or receiving books during the holidays: Armando Lucas Correa (THE SILENCE IN HER EYES), Ashley Elston (FIRST LIE WINS), Laurie Frankel (FAMILY FAMILY), Freida McFadden (THE TEACHER), Allison Pataki (FINDING MARGARET FULLER), and Jonathan Santlofer (THE LOST VAN GOGH). We loved all these pieces, and we so appreciate these authors for taking the time to reminisce with us. Each one is truly special.
Books You Want to Wrap and Unwrap...and Give and Get
If you still have more holiday shopping to do, may we suggest you take a look at our Holiday Cheer feature and “What to Give, What to Get” Guide? You will find books here that are perfect for holiday giving and getting --- and you may even want to include a few of these titles on your "to me/from me" list. THAT is my favorite list.
This week, we are happy to share our review of the aforementioned THE BERRY PICKERS by debut novelist Amanda Peters. A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a mystery that will haunt the survivors, unravel a family and remain unsolved for nearly 50 years. Along with being a Bets On pick, it’s the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize winner and one of three finalists for the Carnegie Medal for Fiction.
Our reviewer Jane T. Krebs says, “Amanda Peters has created a rich and layered mystery. The outcome may be determined in the first few pages of the novel, so perhaps it is not a traditional whodunit. But watching Joe and Norma unravel the past and piece together their lives certainly qualifies as a gripping read. The families survive losses; their deep love for one another surfaces and strengthens time and again. The growing interest in and empathy for each character is important as they are revealed page by page, incident by incident.” I loved this book, and I am going to try to set up an interview with Amanda in the new year.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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MY NAME IS BARBRA: Barbra Streisand is a living legend who is among the handful of EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) and has one of the greatest and most recognizable voices in the history of popular music. In this long-awaited memoir, she tells her own story about her life and extraordinary career.
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THE LOST TOMB: Douglas Preston presents the jaw-dropping discovery of a vast Egyptian tomb containing dozens of sealed burial chambers, as well as recounting tales of pirate treasure, mysterious deaths, archaeological mysteries and more.
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THE BURNOUT: Sparks fly in Sophie Kinsella’s novel about two burned-out professionals who meet at a ramshackle resort on the British seaside. According to our reviewer Jana Siciliano, “Every character…is beautifully and hilariously defined. Their voices are equally funny and distinctive, the verbal vitriol never without humor, the messages pressing but gentle.”
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THE FOURTH RULE: In this fourth installment of Jeff Lindsay’s series featuring Riley Wolfe, the master of heists and disguises must deal with a dangerous new figure of international crime. This ruthless collector, the Cobra, has a personal vendetta against Riley.
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Let us know by Friday, January 5th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win two January 2nd releases: the aforementioned FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston (which will be my first Bets On pick of 2024) and THE STORM WE MADE by Vanessa Chan (which I am reading --- and loving --- now). We will review both these titles in the next newsletter, and I look forward to talking to Ashley in January.
You also will have a chance to win FIRST LIE WINS and THE STORM WE MADE in our End-of-the-Year Contest on ReadingGroupGuides.com. We’re giving readers the opportunity to share their favorite book that they read with their book group and their favorite book that they read outside their group in 2023.
One Grand Prize winner will be awarded six books releasing in early 2024 that we think will make for terrific book group discussions: SLOW NOODLES: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes by Chantha Nguon with Kim Green, WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? by Dervla McTiernan and THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah, in addition to the aforementioned FINDING MARGARET FULLER, FIRST LIE WINS and THE STORM WE MADE.
To enter, please fill out this form by Wednesday, January 10th at noon ET. We will share our reader-compiled "Best Of" list with you in the ReadingGroupGuides newsletter scheduled to go out later that week.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Lorraine wrote on Tuesday, “In case this is your last posting of the year, Carol, Happy Holidays to you and your team!"
Barbara, who calls herself a loyal fan, wrote, “I absolutely love your annual reviewer event. I was not able to attend live, but I totally enjoyed the replay. There was such a wide variety of books shared, which made it even more exciting. Is there any way I can see what attendees wrote in the chat? I am always on the lookout for what others are reading to get ideas for myself.
“I also have to add that I just love that part of your weekly newsletter that includes what's streaming in relation to books. It was through you that I discovered “The Lincoln Lawyer” (very enjoyable). However, I was mighty disappointed in “Lessons in Chemistry”. Apple definitely did NOT do that wonderful book justice (in my opinion). But they did right by “The Last Thing He Told Me”, so you win some and lose some. And I thought Netflix did okay with “All the Light We Cannot See”, but no one could possibly match the beauty of that book (one of the most beautiful I've ever read). Wishing you a joyous holiday season. And thank you and your team for all that you do. You are all truly amazing.”
I confess that I felt the first two episodes of “Lessons in Chemistry” were way too frenetic, but it swung in some new directions that worked, while some did not. I give it a B overall.
Virginia, one of our longtime readers who many of you sent books to when she and her family were rebuilding after the fire in Paradise, California, sent me a picture of her Christmas tree with this note: “Merry Christmas! We have our tree up but only with lights. Every ornament burned to ash along with our house in December 2017. But we’ve rebuilt, and we are here! I’m making a face for our tree that will have a big smile on it.
“I loved your newsletter and recalled my favorite essay about the unusual Christmas play at church, but I couldn’t find it in the archives. This was fine because I saw THE PATH TO PARADISE about Francis Ford Coppola! I ordered the hardback as a Christmas present for my husband. We are coming up on our 50th wedding anniversary (12/29), which is incredible. When we started out, we lived in a tiny flat in San Francisco. My husband jogged each morning and borrowed Mr. Coppola’s Chronicle most mornings. I say borrowed because he refolded it and returned it 45 minutes after 'borrowing' it.
“So he met Mr. Coppola, who gave us passes to a pre-screening of The Godfather. The film had not yet been edited, so it was Parts I and II all together. We dragged out after 4+ hours feeling fluent in Italian. Everyone then went to a small Italian restaurant to dine family style. So naturally I ordered the book using your affiliate link to Amazon. This is just another reason why I so love Bookreporter. You’re my people!”
I cannot tell you how much this email made me smile. Virginia, I am glad that you are one of “our people”!
Leave the World Behind on Netflix: This film has some great stars, but it just did not work for me. I confess that I did not finish watching it.
“Reacher” on Amazon Prime Video. This is a show my husband likes as well, and we will watch season two together.
“World War II: From the Frontlines” on Netflix: My husband and I watched the first of four episodes of this docuseries the other night, and it was well done. You can see the trailer here.
“Fellow Travelers” on Showtime: I watched the finale tonight, and it was pitch-perfect. This show has great writing, as well as brilliant acting.
Mercury is retrograde until January 2nd, which means lots of luck to all of you who are flying this holiday season! Hold your luggage nearby. As always, our team hit retrograde a few days early. Yep, we are ahead of our time on that!
This is the time of year when eating takes on a whole new calorie count. Eating through the snack bag, I saw that licorice has only 100 calories...great as I ate the whole bag. Then I realized that the bag had four servings in it!
This weekend, once I ship out some amaryllis plants as gifts (the kitchen now has boxes and plants in planters), I want to get around to baking. I found a recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies that I am dying to try. Throughout the year, I take all the shipping materials that come in boxes from publishers and shove them in the closet. The other day, I decided to take those out and use them for packing up books and plants. In one closet, I had two large contractor bags of packing materials. Those bags now are in the kitchen as well. Oh, and the 44 books for the Bets On contest. Well, we have those times three here. I will do the math for you on that (44 x 3 = 132). This is all in addition to the books I did not read in 2023 and the ones I want to read in 2024. I am not sure WHERE we can put more bookshelves for the latter.
We plan to do our version of the Seven Fishes next Saturday night so that Cory’s girlfriend, Kaltrina, can join us. On Christmas Eve, I am taking Tom and the boys to see Ferrari. I have great seats for us. Actually, right now they are the only seats that have been bought at the theater. We are in row F; I know, I am so witty! On Christmas Day, my dad and my sister’s family will be here. We have no plans for the rest of the week, though I want to go see The Boys in the Boat and watch Maestro, and there are a lot of things I want to stream. For Christmas, I would like a trunkload of firewood. And time to relax and read.
Oh, and for those who wonder how I am doing on the Aeroski, I hopped on it with a plan to hit it for 30 minutes. Three minutes in, I turned the timer to 10. I read later that one works UP to 30 minutes. OH!!! 5-10 to start, so I can say I started well.
We will be back in your mailboxes on Tuesday with our last “On Sale This Week” newsletter of the year, and the next Bookreporter newsletter will be on January 5th. We leave you with lots to explore until then.
Wishing you and yours a brilliant holiday season. And if this year means that you have an empty chair or chairs at your home, know that our thoughts are with you. Get ready to ring in 2024 in style. We already see it's going to be a great year for books and reading!
Read on, and have a great THREE 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!
Bookreporter Reviewers Choose
Their Favorite Books of 2023
We've asked our reviewers to provide us with a list of their favorite books from 2023. Included is a mix of fiction and nonfiction titles, all published for the first time this year.
Here are some of their top selections:
Take a moment to peruse these varied lists of titles and see if you agree with any of their selections!
Click here to see our reviewer picks for 2023.
Special Contest:
Enter to Win Our End-of-the-Year Celebration,
Featuring All 44 "Bets On" Titles from 2023
We are thrilled to announce our End-of-the-Year Contest featuring Carol Fitzgerald’s Bookreporter.com Bets On picks from 2023. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded all 44 books, while 11 other readers will receive four of these titles.
To enter, please fill out this form by Friday, January 12th at noon ET.
Here are this year's Bets On selections:
In this video and podcast, Carol talks about all 44 of this year's Bets On selections and
why these books resonated with her so much.
Click here to enter the contest.
Featured Review:
THE BERRY PICKERS by Amanda Peters
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE BERRY PICKERS by Amanda Peters (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Aaliya Warbus and Jordan Waunch
July 1962. A Mi’kmaq family from Nova Scotia arrives in Maine to pick blueberries for the summer. Weeks later, four-year-old Ruthie, the family’s youngest child, vanishes. She is last seen by her six-year-old brother, Joe, sitting on a favorite rock at the edge of a berry field. Joe will remain distraught by his sister’s disappearance for years to come. In Maine, a young girl named Norma grows up as the only child of an affluent family. Her father is emotionally distant, her mother frustratingly overprotective. Norma is often troubled by recurring dreams and visions that seem more like memories than imagination. As she grows older, Norma slowly comes to realize there is something her parents aren’t telling her --- and she will spend decades trying to uncover this family secret. Reviewed by Jane T. Krebs.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
Click here to read our review.
Don't miss Carol's Bets On commentary for THE BERRY PICKERS
in the December 19th "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
Featured Review:
MY NAME IS BARBRA by Barbra Streisand
MY NAME IS BARBRA by Barbra Streisand (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Barbra Streisand
In a career spanning six decades, Barbra Streisand has excelled in every area of entertainment. She is among the handful of EGOT winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony) and has one of the greatest and most recognizable voices in the history of popular music. She has been nominated for a Grammy 46 times, and with Yentl she became the first woman to write, produce, direct and star in a major motion picture. In MY NAME IS BARBRA, she tells her own story about her life and extraordinary career --- from growing up in Brooklyn to her first star-making appearances in New York nightclubs to her breakout performance in Funny Girl on stage and winning the Oscar for that performance on film. Then came a long string of successes in every medium in the years that followed. Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE LOST TOMB by Douglas Preston
THE LOST TOMB: And Other Real-Life Stories of Bones, Burials, and Murder by Douglas Preston (True Crime/History)
Audiobook available, read by Will Collyer
From the jungles of Honduras to macabre archaeological sites in the American Southwest, Douglas Preston's journalistic explorations have taken him across the globe. He broke the story of an extraordinary mass grave of animals killed by the asteroid impact that caused the extinction of the dinosaurs, he explored what lay hidden in the booby-trapped Money Pit on Oak Island, and he roamed the haunted hills of Italy in search of the Monster of Florence. THE LOST TOMB brings together an astonishing and compelling collection of true stories about buried treasure, enigmatic murders, lost tombs, bizarre crimes, and other fascinating tales of the past and present. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE BURNOUT by Sophie Kinsella
THE BURNOUT by Sophie Kinsella (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Bessie Carter
Sasha has had it. She cannot bring herself to respond to another inane, “urgent” email or participate in the corporate employee joyfulness program. Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga and find peace, she heads to the seaside resort she loved as a child. But it’s the off-season, the hotel is in dilapidated shambles, and she has to share the beach with the only other occupant: a grumpy guy named Finn, who seems as stressed as Sasha. How can she commune with nature when he’s sitting on her favorite rock, watching her? Nor can they agree on how best to alleviate their burnout. When curious messages, seemingly addressed to Sasha and Finn, begin to appear on the beach, the two are forced to talk --- about everything. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE FOURTH RULE by Jeff Lindsay
THE FOURTH RULE by Jeff Lindsay (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jeff Lindsay
Impossible doesn’t belong in Riley Wolfe’s vocabulary. He’s a master of heists and disguises, whose life's work is swindling the rich out of their undeserved treasures. Now rumors surrounding a dangerous new figure of international crime are spreading through the underworld. And this ruthless collector, the Cobra, has a personal vendetta against Riley. With the aid of his new partner, Caitlin, Riley prepares to take on the most powerful cultural institution in the world and bring home the supposedly unstealable Rosetta Stone. With the Cobra waiting for the right moment to strike, Riley is put to the ultimate test as he faces this most venomous villain --- and tries to make it out alive. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com's 16th Annual Holiday Author Blogs:
Authors Write About Their Favorite Holiday Memories
of Giving or Receiving Books
Our Holiday Author Blogs have returned for a 16th consecutive year! Six authors shared with us some wonderful memories about giving or receiving books during the holidays.
As always, we appreciate all the authors who took the time to participate in this annual feature. It is one of our favorite holiday traditions. May you enjoy them, too!
Click here to read Bookreporter.com's 2023 Holiday Author Blogs.
Bookreporter.com's Holiday Cheer Feature:
Books You Want to Wrap and Unwrap
At Bookreporter.com, we've been celebrating the holiday season in style with our Holiday Cheer Contests and Feature. As our gift to you, we've been spotlighting a book and giving five lucky readers the chance to win it. Congratulations to all the winners!
Although the contests have ended, we encourage you to take a look at this year's titles. These are books you'll want to read during the holidays --- and throughout the new year as well!
Our featured titles are:
THE BERRY PICKERS by Amanda Peters (Fiction)
A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a mystery that will haunt the survivors, unravel a family and remain unsolved for nearly 50 years.
THE JOLLIEST BUNCH: Unhinged Holiday Stories by Danny Pellegrino (Humor/Essays)
From the New York Times bestselling author of HOW DO I UN-REMEMBER THIS? and host of the hit podcast "Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino" comes a collection of tragically hilarious holiday mishaps.
MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT by Nina Simon (Mystery)
Nothing brings a family together like a murder next door. MOTHER-DAUGHTER MURDER NIGHT is a lighthearted whodunnit about a grandmother-mother-daughter trio of amateur sleuths. Think "Gilmore Girls" but with murder.
Click here to see our Holiday Cheer feature.
Bookreporter.com’s “What to Give, What to Get” Guide:
“Reader Perfect” Suggestions
for Holiday Giving and Getting
We at Bookreporter.com know that readers crave ideas for gift-giving --- and getting --- at the holidays. With this in mind, we're offering a "What to Give, What to Get" Guide with "Reader Perfect" suggestions. We have book ideas for everyone on your holiday list. And while you're looking for gifts for others, may we suggest you jot down notes for books YOU want? Let the shopping begin!
Our featured titles are:
Click here to see our "What to Give, What to Get" Guide.
"Best Of" 2023 Lists from Around the Web
This is the time of year when “Best Of” lists are everywhere. These annual roundups always seem to spark lively discussions among readers as they reflect on their favorite books of the year. Although we at Bookreporter.com don’t have a “Best Of” list of our own, we’ve compiled a number of them for you here.
See which of your top picks appear on these lists and which titles you feel should've been included but weren't. Perhaps you’ll even find some books to add to your reading list as we head into the new year!
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
We currently have the following contest running on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Special Contest: Share Your Favorite Books of 2023 --- and Enter to Win SIX Great Book Group Titles Coming Out in 2024!
This is the time of year when we start seeing “Best Books of the Year” lists. We would like you and your book group to help us compile ours! Click here to share both your favorite book that you read with your group and your favorite book that you read outside your group this year by Wednesday, January 10th at noon ET.
One Grand Prize winner will be awarded SIX great book group titles releasing in early 2024: FINDING MARGARET FULLER by Allison Pataki, FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston, SLOW NOODLES: A Cambodian Memoir of Love, Loss, and Family Recipes by Chantha Nguon with Kim Green, THE STORM WE MADE by Vanessa Chan, WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA? by Dervla McTiernan, and THE WOMEN by Kristin Hannah.
Here are our latest featured guides:
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.
A DIFFERENT KIND OF GONE by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Patricia Shade
When 19-year-old Jill Moss goes missing near the Utah-Arizona border, everyone has an opinion. Only Norma Gallagher, a search-and-rescue volunteer, knows the real story. Norma already has found Jill, huddled in a cave and terrified that her abusive boyfriend, Jake, will kill her. To protect Jill from a dangerous man, Norma quietly delivers the girl to her grateful parents in California, even though she’s conflicted. Keeping Jill safe and hidden from Jake, the press and the public will be their secret. Five years later, the disappearance stirs a new media frenzy when Jake is arrested for the murder of Jill Moss --- and Norma knows he didn’t kill her. As Jake is about to stand trial, lust for retribution inflames public opinion, and Jill’s family refuses to come forward, forcing Norma to make a life-changing decision. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
BECOMING ELLA FITZGERALD: The Jazz Singer Who Transformed American Song by Judith Tick (Biography)
In this first major biography since Ella Fitzgerald’s death, historian Judith Tick offers a sublime portrait of this ambitious risk-taker whose exceptional musical spontaneity made her a transformational artist. BECOMING ELLA FITZGERALD clears up long-enduring mysteries. Archival research and in-depth family interviews shed new light on the singer’s difficult childhood in Yonkers, New York, the tragic death of her mother, and the year she spent in a girls’ reformatory school --- where she sang in its renowned choir and dreamed of being a dancer. Rarely seen profiles from the Black press offer precious glimpses of Fitzgerald’s tense experiences of racial discrimination and her struggles with constricting models of Black and white femininity at midcentury. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
THE FINAL CURTAIN written by Keigo Higashino, translated by Giles Murray (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by P.J. Ochlan
A decade ago, Tokyo Police Detective Kyoichiro Kaga went to collect the ashes of his recently deceased mother. Years before, she ran away from her husband and son without explanation or any further contact, only to die alone in an apartment far away. Now in Tokyo, Michiko Oshitani is found dead many miles from home. She lived far away in Sendai, with no known connection to Tokyo --- and neither her family nor her friends have any idea why she would have gone there. Hers is the second strangulation death in that approximate area of Tokyo --- the other was a homeless man, killed and his body burned in a tent by the river. As the case unfolds, an unexpected connective emerges between the murder (or murders) now and the long-ago case of Detective Kaga's missing mother. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE CURSE OF PENRYTH HALL by Jess Armstrong (Historical/Gothic Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Emma Love
After the Great War, American heiress Ruby Vaughn made a life for herself running a rare bookstore alongside her octogenarian employer and housemate in Exeter. She’s avoided dwelling on the past, but it always has a way of finding her. When Ruby is forced to deliver a box of books to a folk healer living deep in the Cornish countryside, she is brought back to the one place she swore she’d never return. A foreboding fortress, Penryth Hall is home to Ruby’s once dearest friend, Tamsyn, and her husband, Sir Edward Chenowyth. It’s an unsettling place, and after a more unsettling evening, Ruby is eager to depart. But her plans change when Penryth’s bells ring for the first time in 30 years. Edward is dead; he met a gruesome end in the orchard, and with his death brings whispers of a returned curse. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
AIRPLANE MODE: An Irreverent History of Travel by Shahnaz Habib (Cultural History/Travel Essays)
The color of one’s skin and passport have long dictated the conditions of travel. For Shahnaz Habib, travel and travel writing have always been complicated pleasures. Habib threads the history of travel with her personal story as a child on family vacations in India, an adult curious about the world, and an immigrant for whom roundtrips are an annual fact of life. Tracing the power dynamics that underlie tourism, AIRPLANE MODE parses who gets to travel and who gets to write about the experience. Threaded through the book are analyses of obvious and not-so-obvious travel artifacts: passports, carousels, bougainvilleas, guidebooks, trains, the idea of wanderlust itself. Together, they tell a subversive history of travel as a Euro-American mode of consumerism. But as any traveler knows, travel is more than that. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
PLEASE TELL ME by Mike Omer (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Marcella Cox
When eight-year-old Kathy Stone turns up on the side of the road a year after her abduction, the world awaits her harrowing story. But she doesn’t speak at all, not even to her own parents. Child therapist Robin Hart is the only one who’s had success connecting with the girl. Robin has been using play therapy to help Kathy process her memories. But as their work continues, Kathy’s playtime takes a grim turn: a doll stabs another doll, a tiny figurine is chained to a plastic toy couch. All of these horrifying moments, enacted within a Victorian doll house. Every session, another toy dies. But the most disturbing detail? Kathy seems to be playacting real unsolved murders. Soon Robin wonders if Kathy not only holds the key to the murders of the past but if she knows something about the murders of the future. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
TECHNICALLY YOURS by Denise Williams (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by January LaVoy and Joe Arden
Pearl Harris has learned the hard way to be careful in work and in love. She has the chance to make lasting change at OurCode --- a nonprofit aimed at inspiring high schoolers to code --- but a recent scandal puts its reputation at risk. Further complicating things, Pearl didn't expect the one man she never stopped thinking about to join as the newest member of her board of directors. Cord Matthews fell for Pearl when they met in an elevator eight years ago. But when she broke his heart, he decided love wasn't for him. When they reconnect after years with no contact, Cord is tempted to consider breaking his ban on serious relationships. But going public with a romance between them might derail Pearl’s career and the progress she’s made at OurCode. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
MEDUSA by Jessie Burton (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Alisha Bailey
Exiled to a far-flung island after being abused by powerful Gods, Medusa has little company other than the snakes that adorn her head instead of hair. Haunted by the memories of a life before everything was stolen from her, she has no choice but to make peace with her present: she is Medusa the Monster. But when the charmed and beautiful Perseus arrives on the island, her lonely existence is blown open, unleashing desire, love --- and betrayal. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
YOURS FOR THE TAKING by Gabrielle Korn (Dystopian Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jasmin Savoy Brown
The year is 2050. Ava and her girlfriend live in what's left of Brooklyn. Although they love each other, it's hard to find happiness while the effects of climate change rapidly eclipse their world. Soon, it won't be safe outside at all. The only people guaranteed survival are the ones whose applications are accepted to The Inside Project, a series of weather-safe, city-sized structures around the world. When Ava is accepted to live Inside and her girlfriend isn’t, she’s forced to go alone. But her heartbreak is quickly replaced with a feeling of belonging: Inside seems like it’s the safe space she’s been searching for...most of the time. Other times she can’t shake the feeling that something is deeply off. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
THE COUPLE IN THE PHOTO by Helen Cooper (Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Naomi Frederick
Lucy and her husband, Adam, have been best friends with another couple, Cora and Scott, for years. They vacation together, co-own a beach cottage, and their children are inseparable. So Lucy is devastated when, while looking at a colleague’s photos of a trip to the Maldives, she spots a picture of Scott, apparently on vacation with another woman. Then she learns that the woman in the photo has gone missing. Lucy can’t help but fear that Scott was involved. But searching for answers might uncover secrets about Scott, Cora and even her own husband that could destroy the picture-perfect lives they have built together. Or maybe she was never part of the picture at all. Is it possible that everyone knows more than they are letting on? If so, what are the consequences of exposing the truth? Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
NO WAY OUT: A DI Adam Fawley Thriller by Cara Hunter (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Lee Ingleby, Emma Cunniffe and Roy McMillan
It's Christmas in Oxford, and firefighters have pulled two children from the smoking ruin of their home. The mystery deepens when it becomes clear that the parents are nowhere to be found. Why were the children left in the house alone? Why is neither parent answering their phone? Were they kidnapped? Murdered? From the start, DI Adam Fawley knows that this house fire is the scene of a crime, not an accident. Then new evidence comes to light and confirms the team’s worst suspicions. The blaze was arson. Who would have torched a seemingly happy family’s home on Christmas? As DI Fawley and his team of detectives sift through the evidence, old tensions and new problems in the family are slowly revealed. Something terribly out of the ordinary has happened, and the truth slowly begins to reveal itself. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
SECOND CHANCES IN NEW PORT STEPHEN by TJ Alexander (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Aden Hakimi and Feodor Chin
Eli Ward hasn’t been back to his suffocating hometown of New Port Stephen, Florida, in ages. Post-transition and sober, he’s a completely different person from the one who left years ago. But when a scandal threatens his career as a TV writer and comedian, he has no choice but to return home for the holidays. Just when he thinks this trip couldn’t get any worse, Eli bumps into his high school ex, Nick Wu, who’s somehow hotter than ever. Divorced and in his 40s, Nick’s world revolves around his father, his daughter and his job. But even a busy life can’t keep him from being intrigued by the reappearance of Eli. Against the backdrop of one weird Floridian Christmas, the two must decide whether to leave the past in the past…or move on together. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
Noteworthy Books Releasing on
December 19th, December 26th and January 2nd
Below are some notable titles releasing on December 19th, December 26th and January 2nd that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. A list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks available the weeks of December 18th, December 25th and January 1st can be found in the December 19th “On Sale This Week” newsletter.
December 19th
THE VACATION by John Marrs (Thriller)
Venice Beach, Los Angeles. A paradise on earth. Tourists flock to the golden coast and the promise of Hollywood. But for eight strangers at a beach-front hostel, there is far more on their minds than an extended vacation. All of them are running from something. And they all have secrets they’d kill to keep.
December 26th
FAMILIA by Lauren E. Rico (Fiction)
Against the bold beauty of San Juan, a baffling genealogy test connects two twenty-something women across cultures and class in this emotional yet refreshing story about sisterhood and self-discovery.
TWO DEAD WIVES by Adele Parks (Psychological Thriller)
This explosive thriller from international bestselling author Adele Parks examines what it is to be a family and the dangerous lengths that people will go to for those they love.
THE VACATION HOUSE by Jane Shemilt (Psychological Thriller)
The Edgar-nominated internationally bestselling author of THE DAUGHTER and THE PLAYGROUND weaves a breathtaking tale of betrayal, family and secrets from the past in this crackling novel of psychological suspense.
THE WEEKEND RETREAT by Tara Laskowski (Domestic Thriller/Mystery)
A wealthy family's vacation at their lush winery estate becomes a weekend to kill for in this deliciously twisted novel of suspense.
January 2nd
ANNA O by Matthew Blake (Psychological Thriller)
Joining the ranks of Gillian Flynn, A. J. Finn and Alex Michaelides, Matthew Blake delivers the thriller of the year: a dark, twisty and shocking mystery about a young woman who commits a double murder while sleepwalking, and then never opens her eyes again.
THE BOOK OF FIRE by Christy Lefteri (Fiction)
Gorgeously written, sweeping in scope and intimate in tone, THE BOOK OF FIRE is a masterful work about the search for meaning in the wake of tragedy, as well as the universal ties that bind people together, and to the land that they call home.
FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston (Psychological Thriller)
Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.
A HITCH IN TIME: Reflections Ready for Reconsideration by Christopher Hitchens (Political Science/Essays)
An outstanding new collection, A HITCH IN TIME is a must-have for Hitchens completists and the perfect starting point for understanding one of the most brilliant essayists of all time.
THE LOST VAN GOGH by Jonathan Santlofer (Thriller)
From the author of the much-praised THE LAST MONA LISA comes another thrilling story of masterpieces, masterminds and mystery.
THE STORM WE MADE by Vanessa Chan (Historical Fiction)
This spellbinding, sweeping novel is about a Malayan mother who becomes an unlikely spy for the invading Japanese forces during WWII --- and the shocking consequences that rain upon her community and family.
UPSIDE DOWN by Danielle Steel (Fiction)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Danielle Steel delivers a poignant novel about a mother and daughter who must repair their relationship and find a way to follow their hearts.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
From left to right: Luke Dumas, Diana Nyad, Matthew Blake
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are three upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Saturday, December 16th at 1pm ET: Book Passage: The hit Netflix movie Nyad is inspiring viewers worldwide. The story of 64-year-old Diana Nyad and her relentless pursuit of an epic dream, becoming the first to swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage, is portrayed brilliantly by Annette Bening. Diana’s coach, Bonnie Stoll, is brought to life by the inimitable Jodie Foster. Join the real Diana and Bonnie for a lively conversation about their real-life ocean crossing and the movie.
Monday, December 18th at 7pm ET: Murder By The Book: Luke Dumas will talk to Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello about his latest chilling novel, THE PALEONTOLOGIST, in which a haunted paleontologist returns to the museum where his sister was abducted years earlier and is faced with a terrifying and murderous spirit.
Thursday, January 4th at 3pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Matthew Blake will talk about his debut novel, ANNA O, a dark, twisty and shocking mystery about a young woman who commits a double murder while sleepwalking and then never opens her eyes again.
"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:
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Ashley Elston (FIRST LIE WINS)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: Looking Back on Your 2023 Reading
How many print books did you read in 2023?
How many e-books did you read in 2023?
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1-10
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11-20
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21-30
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31-40
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41-50
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51-75
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76-100
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More than 100
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None
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I’m not sure.
How many audiobooks did you listen to in 2023?
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1-10
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11-20
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21-30
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31-40
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41-50
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51-75
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76-100
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More than 100
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None
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I’m not sure.
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I didn’t listen to any audiobooks in 2023, but I would like to start in 2024.
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, January 5th 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 December 15th to January 5th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston and THE STORM WE MADE by Vanessa Chan.
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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