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My husband texted our younger son the other day to remind him that Mother’s Day is Sunday. He wrote back, “I will forget the Alamo then. I only have so much that I can remember.” This is classic Cory and so indicative of his wry humor.
For years, I shared Mother’s Day with my mother and my mother-in-law. Two years ago was the last time I celebrated with them both. I am much better at celebrating others than being celebrated. When asked what I want for dinner or what I would like to do for the day, I typically overthink it and come up with nothing. For the latter, I would love a day of reading in peace. The weather does not look like it will cooperate with reading on the deck or poolside. For the menu, I found a few recipes in the New York Times last weekend that look interesting. We shall see!
It was announced this week that LONG ISLAND is the latest Oprah’s Book Club selection. This follow-up to Colm Tóibín's 2009 bestselling novel, BROOKLYN, continues the story of Eilis Lacey more than two decades later. Now in her 40s, Eilis is living on Long Island with her husband, who is a plumber, and their two teenagers.
Oprah describes the novel as “deeply emotional, grappling with infidelity, long-lost love, secrets, and the universal struggle we all have to figure out where we truly belong.” She goes on to say, “You don't have to have read BROOKLYN or watched the movie [on which it was based] to appreciate LONG ISLAND as you will find that this novel has everything you need to know in its own completely riveting story.”
On Tuesday, Tóibín appeared with Oprah on “CBS Mornings” to talk about the book and his reaction to it being her 105th book club pick. Click here to watch the segment. And here is an interview that Tóibín did with the New York Times “Book Review” podcast where he talks about seeing LONG ISLAND not as a sequel but as another story. Also, if you’d like to read along with Oprah’s Book Club, you can do so by following the schedule on this page.
We have TWO new “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews to share with you in this newsletter.
First up is Mary Kay Andrews, whose latest book, SUMMERS AT THE SAINT, is a fresh new summer mystery full of romance, betrayal and long-buried secrets.
Mary Kay talks about the resort that she modeled the St. Cecelia (aka “the Saint”) after and how she conducted research there while spending time with a friend. She also touches on the many storylines that are woven so well into the plot and points out that the novel originally had a different beginning. It is said that “summer begins with MKA,” and Mary Kay explains exactly why this book deserves that moniker and to be read wherever readers are this summer. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
Our reviewer Pamela Kramer calls SUMMERS AT THE SAINT “the quintessential ‘beach read’ book. It provides plenty of intrigue, many beautifully delineated and likable characters, a protagonist we really come to empathize with and root for, and a soupçon of romance…. The ending is quite satisfying and leaves us wishing that we could visit the Saint…”
This is my favorite summer book of MKA’s that I have read, so naturally it will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. Don’t miss my commentary in next week’s newsletter.
I also had the pleasure of speaking with Ann Hood about her new book, THE STOLEN CHILD, which we are now featuring in our Historical Fiction Author Spotlight. In this future Bets On pick, an unlikely duo ventures through France and Italy to solve the mystery of a child’s fate.
Ann loves the World War I time period and has researched it through the years. She talks about her travels to WWI battle sites and how her son shares her passion for this history. Her thoughts about the tears she has shed inspired one thread of the storyline. We also touch on some musical references and discuss our shared love of knitting, mistakes and all. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
We will share our review with you in next week’s newsletter, followed by my Bets On commentary in the May 24th newsletter.
We hosted this month’s “Bookaccino Live” book preview event on Wednesday afternoon. I talked about 38 books releasing between now and June 4th, plus 14 from July, that we wanted to get on your radar. You can watch the presentation here and see a list of the featured titles here.
Next month's “Bookaccino Live” book preview event will take place on Wednesday, June 12th at 2pm ET. I will present titles releasing between June 11th and July 2nd, in addition to a few from August, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up. Those attending the live event will be asked to answer a survey about the books from the presentation that they are most interested in reading and will be eligible to win a prize.
How would you react in a life-or-death situation? You will be asking yourself this question as you read Linwood Barclay’s latest thriller, I WILL RUIN YOU, which will be a Bets On selection. In it, a teacher’s act of heroism inadvertently makes him the target of a dangerous blackmailer who will stop at nothing to get what he wants.
Ray Palen has our review and says, “I WILL RUIN YOU is filled with so many plot twists that rooting for Richard will become a perilous task with so much stacked against him. It’s a must-read for those who love psychological thrillers, and Barclay shows once again why he is a master of the genre.”
I love the way Linwood takes everyday people and drops then into situations where they need to grapple with both their values and their wits. Find out why I'm betting you'll love this book in next week's newsletter.
In I WILL RUIN YOU, Richard runs into trouble when he introduces his students to a novel that is not on the curriculum. This subplot inspired Linwood to share his thoughts on book banning and his experiences with it. Be sure to take a look at his terrific piece here.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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THE MINISTRY OF TIME: Kaliane Bradley’s much-talked-about debut novel is this month’s #1 Indie Next pick and “Good Morning America” Book Club selection. The book is being described as “[a] time-travel romance, a spy thriller, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all.” I am planning to read this one!
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THE YEAR OF LIVING CONSTITUTIONALLY: A.J. Jacobs, a self-described “human guinea pig,” chronicles his hilarious adventures in attempting to follow the original meaning of the Constitution, as he searches for answers to one of the most pressing issues of our time: How should we interpret America’s foundational document? Note: I think A.J.'s wife deserves a throne for living through his various “years of.”
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A SHORT WALK THROUGH A WIDE WORLD: Douglas Westerbeke’s debut novel charts the life of one woman as she journeys the globe trying to outrun a mysterious curse that will destroy her if she stops moving. The book reminds us that it’s not the destination, but rather the journey --- no matter how long it lasts --- that makes us who we are.
Your Last Chance to Enter Our Mother's Day Contest
A SHORT WALK THROUGH A WIDE WORLD is just one of the 11 books we’re giving away in this year’s Mother’s Day contest. Others include the aforementioned SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews and LIKE MOTHER, LIKE DAUGHTER by Kimberly McCreight (the latter doesn’t release until July, so advance copies will be given away). Click here to enter the contest, which will be open until THIS Monday, May 13th at noon ET.
Don’t Miss Our Mother’s Day Author Blogs
We wrapped up our 15th Annual Mother’s Day Author Blog series today. Six authors contributed lovely essays about reading with their moms and their own children, and how their moms inspired them to become readers and writers. Many thanks to Patricia Walsh Chadwick, Janet Skeslien Charles, Eve J. Chung, Simone Gorrindo, Holly Gramazio and the aforementioned Ann Hood for sharing these special memories with us. You also can find these blogs on our Facebook and Instagram pages in case you’d like to get them out to friends as well. One piece is better than the next. We are so appreciative that these authors took the time to participate in this series.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
My two latest Bets On selections are THE PARIS NOVEL by Ruth Reichl and DID I EVER TELL YOU?: A Memoir by Genevieve Kingston. Click on each of the titles for my Bets On commentary.
This Month’s New in Paperback Feature
Our New in Paperback roundups for May are now up. We’re featuring paperback fiction reprints from such bestselling authors as William Kent Krueger (THE RIVER WE REMEMBER), Michael Connelly (RESURRECTION WALK: A Lincoln Lawyer Novel), Jennifer Weiner (THE BREAKWAY), Alice Hoffman (THE INVISIBLE HOUR), Megan Abbott (BEWARE THE WOMAN), Riley Sager (THE ONLY ONE LEFT), and T. J. Newman (DROWNING: The Rescue of Flight 1421); nonfiction titles, including MAKING A SCENE by Constance Wu and CAMERA GIRL: The Coming of Age of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy by Carl Sferrazza Anthony; and paperback originals like THE LAST TIME SHE SAW HIM by Kate White and LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE by Terah Shelton Harris.
Revisiting Two “Bookreporter Talks To” Interviews
Out in paperback this week are LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur and HAPPINESS FALLS by Angie Kim, both of which are Bets On picks. I talked to Adrienne and Angie when their books came out in hardcover, so if you’d like to check out these interviews, you can watch the videos or listen to the podcasts using the links below.
Summer Reading Update
In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away THE HAZELBOURNE LADIES MOTORCYCLE AND FLYING CLUB by Helen Simonson and the aforementioned SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews. Next week’s prizes will be ANIMALS I WANT TO SEE: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Projects and Defying the Odds by Tom Seeman and the aforementioned THE MINISTRY OF TIME by Kaliane Bradley. The first contest will be up on Tuesday, May 14th at noon ET.
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
We have a new Word of Mouth contest to tell you about. Let us know by Friday, May 24th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win two highly anticipated May 21st releases: LIES AND WEDDINGS by Kevin Kwan and ONE PERFECT COUPLE by Ruth Ware.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
For our latest poll, we’ve listed 11 of my Bets On picks that recently came out or will be releasing this month in paperback. How many of these titles have you read or are you planning to read? Let us know here by Friday, May 24th at noon ET.
In our previous poll, we asked if there is an independent bookstore near your home. 72% of you have one in your area, while 26% do not and 2% are not sure about this.
REAL AMERICANS, Rachel Khong’s new novel (following her award-winning debut, GOODBYE, VITAMIN), is May’s Barnes & Noble and “Read with Jenna” Today Show Book Club picks. This exhilarating novel of American identity spans three generations in one family and asks: What makes us who we are? And how inevitable are our futures?
“It’s set in 2000, right when Y2K was happening, and it starts as a love story,” Jenna says. “But then it spans time and place, so that really, it’s a story of family and what we carry, what we pass down, secrets, and how they can divide us, and then bring us back together again.” On Tuesday, June 4th at 3pm ET, B&N will host a live virtual event with the author, which you can sign up for here.
Reese’s Book Club pick for this month is HOW TO END A LOVE STORY by screenwriter and director Yulin Kuang, which we reviewed two weeks ago. Kuang describes her debut novel as “a meta romance about a screenwriter and a novelist who are linked by a shared tragedy in high school, and then find themselves in the same TV writers room, 13 years later.” Click here to read our review from Norah Piehl, who says: “Beyond the personal dramas at its center, the book is a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes at everything that goes into building a television series, written by someone who knows this world intimately.”
For more May selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.
We will be hosting our 13th Annual Book Group Speed Dating event on Friday, June 7th at 1pm ET. If you are a librarian, bookseller or book club leader of three or more groups, and would be interested in attending this event, please email me and tell me a bit about yourself using the subject line “Speed Dating.” This is a “trade only” event, but we will be sharing the publisher videos, PowerPoint slides and other materials with you later in June.
The 108th annual Pulitzer Prizes were announced this week. The winners include NIGHT WATCH by Jayne Anne Phillips (Fiction), NO RIGHT TO AN HONEST LIVING: The Struggles of Boston’s Black Workers in the Civil War Era by Jacqueline Jones (History), KING: A Life by Jonathan Eig and MASTER SLAVE HUSBAND WIFE: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom, by Ilyon Woo (Biography), LILIANA’S INVINCIBLE SUMMER: A Sister’s Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garza (Memoir or Autobiography), and A DAY IN THE LIFE OF ABED SALAMA: Anatomy of a Jerusalem Tragedy, by Nathan Thrall (General Nonfiction). Click here for the complete list of winners and nominees in the Journalism, Books, Drama and Music categories.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
We have lots of lovely reader mail to share with you this week.
Kathy wrote about winning LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE in a recent contest: “Thank you so much for this book. It is excellent. I have read it and posted a review on Goodreads. It is so well written.” I am reading it, and I agree. I am hoping to interview Terah Shelton Harris soon!
Barbara wrote about winning a copy of WITHIN ARM'S REACH by Ann Napolitano in our Summer Reading contest: “I am so excited. Thank you. You made my day!!!” I hope you can join us for our May 29th event with Ann!
Diane wrote, “I opened my door the other morning, and a copy of DAUGHTER OF MINE was outside my door. I never win anything, but I assume if was from you. From 2016 until 2021, I read/listened to 200 books a year. Doing four a week is a killer. In 2023, it was 150. In 2024, hopefully it will be 159. I have to start four books before I find one that grabs me. In the past, I did not have that problem. I loved THE WOMEN and the audiobook of MY NAME IS BARBRA. I found THE MYSTERIOUS CASE OF RUDOLF DIESEL very interesting. THE GUEST was very good and had a spectacular ending. I am presently reading THE RULEBREAKER about Barbara Walters. Thank you so much for the book.”
Ann wrote, “I recently won a copy of THE STOLEN CHILD by Ann Hood. I had not read any books by this author before. I totally enjoyed the story with its twists and turns. The characters were so realistic. I loved the trip to Italy and learning more about their travels and relationships. Thanks for such a wonderful addition to my library!”
Michelle wrote, “Thank you, Carol, Tom and Bookreporter for the copy of Ann Hood’s new novel, THE STOLEN CHILD. I’m a historical fiction reader, an art lover, a knitter, a former flight attendant and a reviewer who lives Somewhere Off the Coast of Maine and can’t think of a better title to win in your recent contest! I took this photo at Mary Margaret’s Mercantile in Castine, Maine. The owner graciously allowed me to move the skeins around as we chatted about the novel and your fabulous interview on the ‘Bookreporter Talks To’ podcast. When I returned to the front of the store, she had her laptop opened and blurted out ‘I bought it!’ referring to the book. Thanks again for proving how, in our digital world, human connection WINS! I look forward to diving into the book and will be posting my review on my Instagram platform.” I love moments like this!
Luella wrote, “Thank you for THE PARIS NOVEL. It's a great read. I've finished it and really enjoyed it. I will share with others.”
Unfrosted on Netflix: We have been watching a lot of very heavy programming, so finding this movie was the exact break we needed. Jerry Seinfeld and Amy Schumer are terrific. Of course, I had read THE MAGNIFICENT LIVES OF MARJORIE POST by Allison Pataki, so I was filling my husband in on all of the details about her. And yes, it made me want to eat a Pop-Tart --- blueberry with no frosting!
“The Tattooist of Auschwitz” on Peacock: This series is based on the book by Heather Morris. It’s not easy watching, but it’s very well done. We are three episodes in. We cannot watch more than one episode in a night, which is interesting since typically we have to wait a week for an episode on other networks. But Peacock dropped all of them at once. And instead we are watching slowly.
“We Were the Lucky Ones” on Hulu: This series was so well done and wrapped up beautifully. It is amazing to see how these people all survived.
“A Gentleman in Moscow” on Showtime/Paramount+: We learned that we can catch the latest episode on Friday nights instead of Sundays when we watch on Paramount+. We are really enjoying this series.
The Idea of You on Prime Video: This film is another great break from heavy programming. It’s light. It’s fun. And the book by Robinne Lee did not end the same way.
“Selling The OC” on Netflix: Okay, this is completely a soap opera, but I watch for real estate, which is insanely priced with drop-dead views.
This is graduation season, which makes me think back to the speaker at my graduation at Fordham University: Alan Alda. Students at the University of Michigan had their own very special graduation speaker in Brad Meltzer. If you want to hear a terrific speech, give this one a watch/listen.
The weather did not cooperate last weekend, so the pool was not opened and the patio furniture was not uncovered. So annoying. I planned to hit the garden center on Wednesday at 8am to get flowers, but at 7am, rain along with thunder and lightning came through. I carefully had honed my flower plan the night before, so it was amusing when my husband asked somewhat exasperatedly what we were going to buy, like we had everything already in the ground. I immediately said “herbs” since I know he loves having fresh herbs for cooking. Last year, I wisely saved all those little plastic stakes in the plants so I would remember exactly what I loved that bloomed well. A few hours later, there was a master list typed up! Between that and photos, I think I have a plan nailed. Of course, this is just the start of plant shopping. But when will that be?
Right now, we have a lot of weeds among the perennial plants. It seems like many of the trees shed seeds, and they are sprouting very robustly throughout the gardens. It is like we are growing a forest.
I am readying myself for the pool with a Hairbrella, which came the other day. It is said to keep your hair dry while swimming. I will be testing it, though it definitely got an eye roll from my husband when I tried it on. I am all about anything that saves me time. Now I am researching the best devices for listening to music and audiobooks under water. The device that I have now cannot play the latter and is so old that I cannot change the playlist.
For those of you celebrating Mother’s Day, I wish you a day filled with things you love. And for those of you who are missing your mom, my heart goes out to you!
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!
Now Available: LONG ISLAND by Colm Tóibín
Oprah’s Latest Book Club Pick
LONG ISLAND by Colm Tóibín (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jessie Buckley
Eilis Lacey is Irish, married to Tony Fiorello, a plumber and one of four Italian American brothers, all of whom live in neighboring houses on a cul-de-sac in Lindenhurst, Long Island, with their wives and children and Tony’s parents. It is the spring of 1976, and Eilis has no one to rely on in this still-new country. Though her ties to Ireland remain stronger than those that hold her to her new land and home, she has not returned in decades. One day, when Tony is at his job and Eilis is in her home office, an Irishman comes to the door asking for her by name. He tells her that his wife is pregnant with Tony’s child and that he will not raise the baby but instead deposit it on Eilis’ doorstep. It is what Eilis does --- and what she refuses to do --- in response to this stunning news that makes LONG ISLAND so riveting.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to see why the book is Oprah's latest Book Club pick.
- Click here to watch Oprah and Colm Tóibín talk about the book on "CBS Mornings."
Click here to read more about the book.
Featured Review:
SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
SUMMERS AT THE SAINT by Mary Kay Andrews (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Kathleen McInerney
Traci Eddings was one of those outsiders whose family wasn’t rich enough or connected enough to vacation at St. Cecelia. But she could work there. One fateful summer she did, and she married the boss’s son. Now, she’s the widowed owner of the hotel, determined to see it return to its glory days, even as staff shortages and financial troubles threaten to ruin it. Plus, her greedy and unscrupulous brother-in-law wants to make sure she fails. Enlisting a motley crew of recently hired summer help --- including the daughter of her estranged best friend --- Traci has one summer season to turn it around. But new information about a long-ago drowning at the hotel threatens to come to light, and the tragic death of one of their own brings Traci to the brink of despair. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to visit Mary Kay Andrews' website.
Watch or listen to our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview
with Mary Kay Andrews.
Click here to read our review.
SUMMERS AT THE SAINT will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's Bets On commentary in next week's newsletter.
Featured Review: I WILL RUIN YOU by Linwood Barclay
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
I WILL RUIN YOU by Linwood Barclay (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by George Newbern and Johnathan McClain
English teacher Richard Boyle certainly never thought he would find himself talking down a former student intent on harming others. But when Mark LeDrew shows up at Richard’s school with a bomb strapped to his chest, Richard immediately jumps into action. Thanks to some quick thinking, he averts a major tragedy and is hailed as a hero. However, Richard’s brief moment in the spotlight puts him in the sights of a deranged blackmailer with a score to settle. The situation rapidly spirals out of control, drawing Richard into a fraught web of salacious accusations and deadly secrets. As he tries to uncover the truth, he discovers that there’s something deeply wrong in the town --- something that ties together Mark, the blackmailer and a gang of ruthless drug dealers, and Richard has landed smack in the middle of it. What price will he pay for one good deed? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read Linwood Barclay's blog post about book banning.
- Click here to visit Linwood Barclay's website.
Click here to read our review.
I WILL RUIN YOU will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's Bets On commentary in next week's newsletter.
New Historical Fiction Author Spotlight:
THE STOLEN CHILD by Ann Hood
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE STOLEN CHILD by Ann Hood (Historical Fiction)
For decades, Nick Burns has been haunted by a decision he made as a young soldier in World War I, when a French artist he’d befriended thrust both her paintings and her baby into his hands --- and disappeared. In 1974, with only months left to live, Nick enlists Jenny, a college dropout desperate for adventure, to help him unravel the mystery.
The journey leads them from Paris galleries and provincial towns to a surprising place: the Museum of Tears, the life’s work of a lonely Italian craftsman. Determined to find the baby and the artist, hopeless romantic Jenny and curmudgeonly Nick must reckon with regret, betrayal and the lives they’ve left behind.
With characteristic warmth and verve, Ann Hood captures a world of possibility and romance through the eyes of a young woman learning to claim her place in it. THE STOLEN CHILD is an engaging, timeless novel of secrets, love lost and found, and the nature of forgiveness.
- Click here to read Ann Hood's bio.
- Click here to visit Ann Hood's website.
- Connect with Ann Hood on Facebook and Instagram.
- Click here to read Ann Hood's Mother's Day Author Blog post.
Watch or listen to our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Ann Hood.
Click here to read more in our Historical Fiction Author Spotlight.
THE STOLEN CHILD will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss our review in next week's newsletter,
followed by Carol's Bets On commentary in the May 24th newsletter.
Bookreporter.com’s 19th Annual
Mother’s Day Contest: Books Mom Will Love
Enter by THIS Monday at Noon ET!
Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. To celebrate, we're giving you the opportunity to win books for yourself or the special lady in your life in our 19th annual "Books Mom Will Love" contest. From now through Monday, May 13th at noon ET, readers can enter to win one of our five prize packages, which includes 11 great titles that we think moms will love.
This year's prize books are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Bookreporter.com’s 15th Annual
Mother’s Day Author Blogs
Our Mother's Day Author Blogs are back for a 15th year! We are excited to be sharing pieces from six authors who reminisce about reading books with their moms, or with their own children, and talk about how their moms influenced them to become readers and writers.
As always, we appreciate all the authors who took the time to participate in this annual feature.
Click here to read this year's Mother's Day Author Blogs.
Featured Review:
THE MINISTRY OF TIME by Kaliane Bradley
May’s #1 Indie Next Pick
and “Good Morning America” Book Club Selection
THE MINISTRY OF TIME by Kaliane Bradley (Science Fiction/Romance)
Audiobook available, read by George Weightman and Katie Leung
In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and shortly afterward is told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to determine if time travel is feasible --- for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time. She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting and monitoring the expat known as “1847,” or Commander Graham Gore. Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to see why the book is this month's "Good Morning America" Book Club pick.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE YEAR OF LIVING CONSTITUTIONALLY by A.J. Jacobs
THE YEAR OF LIVING CONSTITUTIONALLY: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Constitution's Original Meaning by A.J. Jacobs (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by A.J. Jacobs
A.J. Jacobs tries to get inside the minds of the Founding Fathers by living as closely as possible to the original meaning of the Constitution. He asserts his right to free speech by writing his opinions on parchment with a quill and handing them out to strangers in Times Square. He consents to quartering a soldier, as is his Third Amendment right. He turns his home into a traditional 1790s household by lighting candles instead of using electricity, boiling mutton, and --- because women were not allowed to sign contracts --- feebly attempting to take over his wife’s day job, which involves a lot of contract negotiations. The book blends unforgettable adventures --- delivering a handwritten petition to Congress, battling redcoats as part of a Revolutionary War reenactment group --- with dozens of interviews from constitutional experts from both sides. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: A SHORT WALK THROUGH
A WIDE WORLD by Douglas Westerbeke
A SHORT WALK THROUGH A WIDE WORLD by Douglas Westerbeke (Historical Fiction/Magical Realism)
Audiobook available, read by Saskia Maarleveld
Paris, 1885: Aubry Tourvel, a spoiled and stubborn nine-year-old girl, comes across a wooden puzzle ball on her walk home from school. She tosses it over the fence, only to find it in her backpack that evening. Days later, at the family dinner table, she starts to bleed to death. When medical treatment only makes her worse, she flees to the outskirts of the city, where she realizes that it is this very act of movement that keeps her alive. So begins her lifelong journey on the run from her condition, which won’t allow her to stay anywhere for longer than a few days or return to a place where she’s already been. But the longer Aubry wanders and the more desperate she is to share her life with others, the clearer it becomes that the world she travels through may not be quite the same as everyone else’s. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
THE PARIS NOVEL by Ruth Reichl
and DID I EVER TELL YOU? by Genevieve Kingston
THE PARIS NOVEL by Ruth Reichl (Historical Fiction)
I do love armchair travel, especially when it is delivered to me by someone who clearly has fabulous taste, a keen eye and a seasoned palate. Ruth Reichl is the perfect guide for this --- and she weaves a terrific story around it in THE PARIS NOVEL.
Stella has had a very tough childhood, with a mother who ignores her more than she favors her. Along the way, she is abused as a child and walks away from her childhood home as soon as she can to build her own life. She finds joy working with an editor at Vintage Books; she is very happy and comfortable at her job there. But when her mother passes away, she finds herself with a rather interesting inheritance --- a one-way plane ticket and a note reading “Go to Paris.” Stella is like a little church mouse with absolutely no idea what to do for an adventure. Her boss says, “Go!” And with that kick in the right direction, she is on a plane.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on THE PARIS NOVEL.
DID I EVER TELL YOU?: A Memoir by Genevieve Kingston (Memoir)
DID I EVER TELL YOU? by Genevieve Kingston is the kind of book you read --- and never forget.
When Genevieve (who was nicknamed Gwen) lost her mother, she was just 11 years old. Kristina had been ill with cancer for eight years, and she knew she would not live to see her daughter and son grow into adulthood. Instead of mourning her fate, she would busy herself with wrapping paper, ribbon and cards, assembling a treasure trove of gifts for her children. Gwen would see her mother fluttering about clearly on a mission. You could feel she was almost seeing her children at each future stage that she was wrapping a special message for them, taking them up to age 30. These notes and gifts carefully were placed in a box for each of them.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on DID I EVER TELL YOU?
Bookreporter.com's 20th Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through early August, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also are sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next prize book will be announced on Tuesday, May 14th at noon ET.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
May’s New in Paperback Roundups
May's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes THE RIVER WE REMEMBER, a dazzling stand-alone novel from William Kent Krueger, in which a small Minnesota town is rocked by the murder of its most powerful citizen, pouring fresh fuel on old grievances; RESURRECTION WALK, Michael Connelly's seventh Lincoln Lawyer thriller, which finds defense attorney Mickey Haller enlisting the help of his half-brother, retired LAPD Detective Harry Bosch, to prove the innocence of a woman convicted of killing her husband; THE BREAKAWAY by Jennifer Weiner, a warmhearted and empowering novel about love, family, friendship, secrets and a life-changing journey; THE GUEST, a stunning novel from Emma Cline in which a young woman pretends to be someone she isn’t; and Riley Sager's THE ONLY ONE LEFT, a Gothic chiller about a caregiver assigned to work for a woman accused of a Lizzie Borden-like massacre decades earlier.
Among our nonfiction highlights are PAGEBOY, Oscar-nominated star Elliot Page's groundbreaking and inspiring memoir about love, family, fame --- and stepping into who we truly are with strength, joy and connection; MAKING A SCENE, a powerful and poignant memoir-in-essays from actor Constance Wu, who gives readers an intimate portrait of the pressures and pleasures of existing in today’s world; LIFE B, a bracing and fresh look at a lifelong struggle with depression and mental illness from writer and book critic Bethanne Patrick; and CAMERA GIRL by Carl Sferrazza Anthony, an illuminating biography of the young Jackie Bouvier Kennedy that covers her formative adventures abroad in Paris; her life as a writer and photographer at a Washington, DC, newspaper; and her romance with a dashing, charismatic Massachusetts congressman who shared her intellectual passion.
THE INSTRUMENTS OF DARKNESS by John Connolly (Supernatural Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jeff Harding
In Maine, Colleen Clark stands accused of the worst crime a mother can commit: the abduction and possible murder of her child. Everyone --- ambitious politicians in an election season, hardened police, ordinary folk --- has an opinion on the case, and most believe she is guilty. But most is not all. Defending Colleen is the lawyer Moxie Castin, and working alongside him is the private investigator Charlie Parker, who senses the tale has another twist --- one involving a husband too eager to accept his wife’s guilt, a group of fascists arming for war, a disgraced psychic seeking redemption, and an old, twisted house deep in the Maine woods, a house that never should have been built. A house, and what dwells beneath. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
DISTURBING THE DEAD: A Rip Through Time Novel by Kelley Armstrong (Historical Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Kate Handford
Victorian Scotland is becoming less strange to modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson. But inhabiting someone else’s body will always be unsettling, even if her employers know that she’s not actually housemaid Catriona Mitchell, ever since the night both of them were attacked in the same dark alley 150 years apart. Mallory likes her job as assistant to undertaker/medical examiner Dr. Duncan Gray and is developing true friends --- and feelings --- in this century. So, understanding the Victorian fascination with death, Mallory isn't that surprised when she and her friends are invited to a mummy unwrapping at the home of Sir Alastair Christie. When their host is missing when it comes time to unwrap the mummy, Gray and Mallory are asked to step in. And upon closer inspection, it’s not a mummy they’ve unwrapped, but a much more modern body. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
IAN FLEMING: The Complete Man by Nicholas Shakespeare (Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Jonathan Keeble
Ian Fleming's greatest creation, James Bond, has had an enormous and ongoing impact on our culture. What Bond represents about ideas of masculinity, the British national psyche and global politics has shifted over time, as has the interpretation of the life of his author. But Fleming himself was more mysterious and subtle than anything he wrote. Ian's childhood with his gifted brother, Peter, and his extraordinary mother set the pattern for his ambition to be “the complete man,” and he would strive for the means to achieve this “completeness” all his life. Nicholas Shakespeare’s talent for uncovering material that casts new light on his subjects is fully evident here. His unprecedented access to the Fleming archive and his nose for a story make this a fresh and eye-opening picture of the man and his famous creation. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
CHARLIE HUSTLE: The Rise and Fall of Pete Rose, and the Last Glory Days of Baseball by Keith O'Brien (Sports/Biography)
Audiobook available, read by Ellen Adair
Pete Rose is a legend. A baseball god. He compiled more hits than anyone in the history of baseball, a record he set decades ago that still stands today. He was a working-class white guy from Cincinnati who made it. He was everything that America wanted and needed him to be, the American dream personified --- until he wasn’t. In the 1980s, Pete Rose came to be at the center of one of the biggest scandals in baseball history. He kept secrets, ran with bookies, took on massive gambling debts, and was magnificently, publicly cast out for betting on baseball and lying about it. The revelations that followed ruined him, changed life in Cincinnati and forever altered the game. CHARLIE HUSTLE tells the full story of one of America’s most epic tragedies --- the rise and fall of Pete Rose. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan (www.RonKaplansBaseballBookshelf.com).
GRANITE HARBOR by Peter Nichols (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Peter Ganim
A local teenager is found brutally murdered in the Settlement, Granite Harbor’s historic archaeological site. Alex Brangwen is the town’s sole detective, and this is his first murder case. Isabel, a single mother attempting to support her family while healing from her own demons, finds herself in the middle of the case when she begins working at the Settlement. Her son, Ethan, and Alex’s daughter, Sophie, were best friends with the victim. When a second teenager is found murdered, the body left in the same manner as the first victim, both parents are terrified that their child may be next. As Alex and Isabel race to find the killer in their midst, the town’s secrets --- past and present --- begin bubbling to the surface, threatening to unravel the tight-knit community. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
LOVE, LIES, AND CHERRY PIE by Jackie Lau (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Catherine Ho and Feodor Chin
Writer and barista Emily Hung is tired of hearing about the great Mark Chan, the son of her parents’ friends. He’s just a boring, sweater-vest-wearing engineer, and when they’re forced together at Emily’s sister’s wedding, it’s obvious he thinks he’s too good for her. But now that Emily is her family’s last single daughter, her mother is fixated on getting her married, and she has her sights on Mark. There’s only one solution, clearly: convince Mark to be in a fake relationship with her long enough to put an end to her mom’s meddling. He reluctantly agrees. Unfortunately, lying isn’t enough. Family friends keep popping up at their supposed dates, so they’ll have to spend more time together to make their relationship look real. With each fake date, though, Emily realizes that Mark is not quite what she assumed. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
A LETHAL QUESTION by Mark Rubinstein (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Sam Rosenthal
Manhattan psychiatrist Bill Madrian takes pride in the level of trust he establishes with his patients. For a patient to open up, they must truly believe that everything said in a therapy session remains confidential. But Bill has never realized the complications this confidentiality could present --- until he treats Alex Bronzi. One day, in a session with Alex, the young man asks, “Hey Doc, ya wanna know who clipped Boris Levenko?” Boris Levenko was a major crime boss who had been executed a few days prior. The question gives Bill information he desperately did not want to hear. With this knowledge, Bill’s life is upended, and he begins a fight for survival that takes him and his loved ones on a nightmarish journey far beyond the realm of anything he ever could have imagined. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on May 14th
Below are some notable titles releasing on May 14th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks available the week of May 13th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
ALL FOURS by Miranda July (Fiction)
New York Times bestselling author Miranda July returns with an irreverently sexy, tender, hilarious and surprising novel about a woman upending her life.
ANIMALS I WANT TO SEE: A Memoir of Growing Up in the Projects and Defying the Odds by Tom Seeman (Memoir)
A lyrical coming-of-age story set in the projects of Toledo, Ohio, ANIMALS I WANT TO SEE explores themes of identity, ambition, religion and friendship --- often across racial and social lines --- as it spotlights a family of 14 and tracks a boy’s journey from a child janitor with big dreams to a teenage petty criminal to a student at Yale and Harvard.
BREAKING GLASS: Tales from the Witch of Wall Street by Patricia Walsh Chadwick (Memoir)
Kicked out of a cult at 17, Patricia Walsh Chadwick started on the bottom rung of the ladder in the world of business and worked her way to the top --- breaking through the glass ceiling to become a global partner at Invesco.
THE LAST TIME SHE SAW HIM by Kate White (Psychological Thriller)
A woman is left reeling when her former fiancé appears to take his own life, and she becomes desperate to prove it was actually murder, in this latest psychological thriller from New York Times bestselling author Kate White.
LIFE, LOSS, AND PUFFINS by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Fiction)
LIFE, LOSS, AND PUFFINS is Catherine Ryan Hyde's exhilarating and emotional novel about grief, hope, friendship, and taking life one beautiful and spontaneous day at a time.
LONG AFTER WE ARE GONE by Terah Shelton Harris (Fiction)
From the author of ONE SUMMER IN SAVANNAH comes an explosive and emotional story of four siblings --- each fighting their own personal battle --- who return home in the wake of their father's death in order to save their family's home from being sold out from under them.
LOVERS AND LIARS by Amanda Eyre Ward (Fiction)
Three wildly different sisters reunite for a destination wedding at an English castle in this heartfelt and rollicking novel from the New York Times bestselling author of THE JETSETTERS.
THE PARADISE PROBLEM by Christina Lauren (Romantic Comedy)
Christina Lauren returns with a delicious new romance between the buttoned-up heir of a grocery chain and his free-spirited artist ex as they fake their relationship in order to receive a massive inheritance.
THE SHADOW OF WAR: A Novel of the Cuban Missile Crisis by Jeff Shaara (Historical Fiction)
From bestselling author Jeff Shaara comes the story of rising conflict between the superpowers that gripped the world, a global war that almost happened: the Cuban Missile Crisis.
THE SITUATION ROOM: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis by George Stephanopoulos with Lisa Dickey (Politics/History)
George Stephanopoulos, the legendary political news host and former advisor to President Clinton, recounts the history-making crises from the place where 12 presidents made their highest-pressure decisions: the White House Situation Room.
THE STELLAR DEBUT OF GALACTICA MacFEE: A 44 Scotland Street Novel by Alexander McCall Smith (Fiction/Humor)
This latest installment in the warm and welcoming 44 Scotland Street series finds all our favorite residents of Scotland's most celebrated address navigating their enchanting and eventful lives.
THINK TWICE by Harlan Coben (Thriller)
A man presumed dead is suddenly wanted for murder in this thriller of secrets, lies and dangerous conspiracies that threaten to cover up the truth.
THIS STRANGE EVENTFUL HISTORY by Claire Messud (Historical Fiction)
Over seven decades, from 1940 to 2010, the pieds-noirs Cassars live in an itinerant state --- separated in the chaos of World War II, running from a complicated colonial homeland, and, after Algerian independence, without a homeland at all.
Click here to see the latest "On Sale This Week" newsletter.
"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:
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: Which of Carol’s "Bets On" Selections Appeal to You the Most?
We have listed 11 of Carol’s Bookreporter.com Bets On picks that are now or soon to be in paperback. Which of these books have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
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BEWARE THE WOMAN by Megan Abbott
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DROWNING by T. J. Newman
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GONE TONIGHT by Sarah Pekkanen
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HAPPINESS FALLS by Angie Kim
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HOMECOMING by Kate Morton
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THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE by Rachel Beanland
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THE LIE MAKER by Linwood Barclay
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LITTLE MONSTERS by Adrienne Brodeur
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THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger
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THINGS I WISH I TOLD MY MOTHER by Susan Patterson and Susan DiLallo, with James Patterson
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THE WHISPERS by Ashley Audrain
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, May 24th at noon ET.
Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What
You're Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!
Tell us about the books you’ve read with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from May 10th to May 24th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of LIES AND WEDDINGS by Kevin Kwan and ONE PERFECT COUPLE by Ruth Ware.
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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