October 11, 2024

October 11, 2024

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Wow! We Love Our Readers!

Thanks to all of you who have answered our Reader Survey so far. We very much appreciate it! I have been jumping in and looking at your replies all week. We love “getting to know all about you,” which is spurring ideas for future growth. If you have not taken the survey yet, you have until next Friday, October 18th at noon ET to do so. Those who complete the survey can be eligible to win a bookish prize!

All week we have been holding good thoughts for our readers who were in the path of Hurricane Milton. Helene and Milton sparked way too much havoc, and the cleanup is going to take a long time.

Here is a charity idea to keep in mind for donations: BINC, the Book Industry Charitable Foundation, which helps bookstore and comic shop employees and owners with unforeseen emergency financial, medical and mental health service needs. You can donate here. Their tagline is “Book People Caring for Book People,” which is spot on. Our friends at Sourcebooks will match the first $10,000 in total contributions dollar for dollar.

In her long-awaited memoir, BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS, Ina Garten --- aka the Barefoot Contessa, author of 13 bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation and cultural icon --- shares her personal story with readers hungry for a seat at her table. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices and exquisite attention to detail.

Jana Siciliano has this to say in her review: “Most people who love Ina and her many beautiful, uncomplicated, delicious cookbooks don’t know where her chutzpah, professionalism and perseverance came from. BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS answers all those questions for readers.” Jana calls the book “an eminently readable and memorable look at one woman’s striving to accomplish her dreams and succeeding through hard work, intelligence and a fight for equal rights.”

I have had a great week listening to BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS, which will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. In it, Ina mentions that her first cookbook was based on the recipes that she had made at her store, The Barefoot Contessa, which prompted me to pluck that book from the shelves and conjured up a great memory. For one weekend every summer, we would head to Amagansett to stay with our friends, Moe and Shirley. Shirley and I would head to The Barefoot Contessa to shop, waiting in long lines to be served. It prompted me to try to remember what we used to buy that I want to recreate. I love moments like this.

It was announced this week that FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN is Oprah’s latest Book Club pick. Born to an American myth and raised in the wilds of Graceland, Lisa Marie Presley tells her whole story for the first time in this raw, riveting, one-of-a-kind memoir faithfully completed by her daughter, Riley Keough, following her death in January 2023.

Oprah says, “I have great love and admiration for Lisa Marie Presley, and was so moved that her daughter Riley, through her grief, was able to help her finish a beautifully touching memoir that allows us to see her mother at her most honest and vulnerable. This is an intimate look at what it was like growing up as heir to one of America’s most famous families.”

On Tuesday night, CBS aired “An Oprah Special: The Presleys — Elvis, Lisa Marie, and Riley”, where Oprah traveled to Graceland to talk to Riley. She opened up about her mother’s death, her grandfather’s legacy and the process for writing this book. If you missed the show, which I really enjoyed, you can watch it here.

Riley also appeared on “CBS Mornings” with Oprah this week to talk about the book. Click here to watch the segment. And if you’d like to read along with Oprah’s Book Club, you can do so by following the schedule on this page.

I am looking forward to listening to the audiobook of FROM HERE TO THE GREAT UNKNOWN, which is narrated by Riley and Julia Roberts.

Sophie Kinsella’s new novel, WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE?, is the heartbreaking and life-affirming story of Eve Monroe, a renowned novelist who is facing a devastating diagnosis and learning to live and love anew. This is Sophie’s most personal book as she was diagnosed two years ago with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer, which at this time has no cure.

Here’s what Sophie says about her inspiration for the book, which will be a Bets On selection: “Why did I write such a personal book? I have always processed my life through writing. Hiding behind my fictional characters, I have always turned my own life into a narrative. It is my version of therapy, maybe. Writing is my happy place, and writing this book, although tough going at times, was immensely satisfying and therapeutic for me.”

Jane T. Krebs has our review and says, “As readers may already know, Sophie Kinsella is Eve Monroe. Her condition mirrors Eve’s. Her remarkable husband, Henry, and devoted family are Eve’s. WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? is complicated and poignant. Because it is an ongoing story that is her life, Kinsella cannot write an accurate ending just yet. However, she chooses to give Eve an ending that is full of promise and hope. We wish the same good fortune for Kinsella.” Don’t miss my Bets On commentary later this month.

I love that Sophie talks about “normal plus.” I enjoyed this interview from the UK where she talked with Marian Keyes, which is available until October 23rd. We show the US cover here. I just loved the Shopaholic series; the books always made me smile. And yes, just as there is a lot of Sophie in Shopaholic's main character, Rebecca Bloomwood, Sophie is the inspiration for Eve. This is very personal fiction.

I love novellas. There are times when I am busy, and reading a short book from an author I love is just the trick. This week, besides Sophie Kinsella’s novella, I loved every minute of THE MISTLETOE MYSTERY, Nita Prose’s latest title featuring Molly the Maid. It has everything that the longer Molly books have had --- great characters in Molly, Juan Manuel and the others at the Regency Grand Hotel, clever writing, and a plot that showcases a mystery to be unraveled but in a shorter time frame. It will be a Bets On title since we are coming up on the time of year when novellas are just the perfect way to read between holiday shopping, list making and cookie baking.

October’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Preview Event
On Wednesday, we hosted this month’s “Bookaccino Live” book preview event. I talked about 42 books releasing between now and November 5th (including 11 holiday-themed titles), along with six from December, that we wanted to get on your radar. We will share the link to the video in next Friday's newsletter. In the meantime, you can see a list of all the titles that I talked about here.

My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Jean Hanff Korelitz, whose new book, THE SEQUEL, is the follow-up to THE PLOT. We reviewed it last week, and it will be a Bets On selection. Anna, the widow of Jacob Finch Bonner, is enjoying the riches of being a literary widow and has written a debut novel called The Afterword. But, ah, Anna has a secret to hide.

Jean shares the fun she had layering wry humor into the book, as well as how she satirizes the publishing industry in juicy detail. Yes, there is film news talk, as well as what’s next for Jean. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast. And don’t miss my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.

On the cusp of turning 80, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is adrift in Lynda Cohen Loigman’s new book, THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN. When she relocates to Rallentando Springs, an active senior community in southern Florida, Augusta unexpectedly crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her father’s old pharmacy --- and the man who broke her heart 60 years earlier.

Pamela Kramer has our review and says, “THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN works perfectly. The details, the history and the alternating chapters flow seamlessly together. Loigman's ability to describe people is also spot-on. We can picture the other residents at the retirement community as we read their physical descriptions and are privy to their actions and words. It seems much shorter than its 300 pages both because the story is so gripping and because we care about Augusta and want to know exactly what happened that left her alone at 80 in a retirement community in Florida.”

Other books we’re reviewing this week include:

• IDENTITY UNKNOWN: Summoned to an abandoned theme park to retrieve a body, Dr. Kay Scarpetta is devastated to learn that the victim is a man she once had an intense love affair with. Scarpetta knows an autopsy can reveal the dead’s secrets, but she is shocked to find that her friend seems to have deliberately left her a clue in this 28th installment of Patricia Cornwell’s popular series.
   
• THE PUZZLE BOX: Two sisters. A lost imperial treasure. The world’s greatest puzzle master has 24 hours to solve the most dangerous mystery of his life --- or die trying --- in this extremely clever sequel to Danielle Trussoni's THE PUZZLE MASTER. Our reviewer Ray Palen says, “The race to the finish and the hopeful final solution to the Dragon Box challenge keeps the pages moving as quickly as the frenetic pace.”
   
• THE DROWNED: From John Banville, the renowned Booker Prize winner and nationally bestselling author of SNOW, comes an atmospheric new mystery about a woman’s sudden disappearance in a small coastal town in Ireland, where nothing is as it seems. According to our reviewer Kate Ayers, “It can punch you in the gut, but you will come out the other side a richer person for having read it.”

Revisiting My “Bookreporter Talks To” Interview with Katherine Faulkner
Out in paperback this week is THE OTHER MOTHERS by Katherine Faulkner, a fresh and deftly paced thriller in which a shocking murder rattles an exclusive London neighborhood. I talked to Katherine about the book at the start of the year following its hardcover release. So if you missed the discussion or would like to check it out again, you can watch it here or listen to the podcast here.

Fall Reading Contest Update
In this week’s Fall Reading contest, we gave away the aforementioned THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN by Lynda Cohen Loigman. Next week’s prize book will be BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CHRISTMAS by Mary Kay Andrews, which we added to our Fall Reading feature this week. This novella celebrating love and the warm, glittering charm of the holiday season is now available in paperback. The contest will be up on Tuesday, October 15th at noon ET.

Releasing on October 29th is HOLIDAY HIDEAWAY, a short story from Mary Kay that will be available exclusively on Amazon as an e-book and audiobook. This charming holiday romance is about a newly single thirtysomething whose unauthorized vacation rental turns into a hilarious game of hide-and-seek when the new owner unexpectedly shows up.

Word of Mouth Contest Reminder
The aforementioned THE PUZZLE BOX by Danielle Trussoni and WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? by Sophie Kinsella are our current Word of Mouth prizes. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both these titles. Be sure to enter by Friday, October 18th at noon ET.

Remember to Vote in Our Poll
You also have until next Friday to answer our poll, which continues to ask which of 30 fiction titles releasing in October you have read or are planning to read. Click here to let us know.

This year's Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded to South Korean author Han Kang “for her intense poetic prose that confronts historical traumas and exposes the fragility of human life.” She has a unique awareness of the connections between body and soul, the living and the dead, and in her poetic and experimental style has become an innovator in contemporary prose. Click here to read more about Kang and her impressive body of work.

Also announced this week were the winners of this year’s Macavity Awards. They include ALL THE SINNERS BLEED by S. A. Cosby (Best Mystery), THE PEACOCK AND THE SPARROW by I.S. Berry (Best First Mystery), and FINDERS: Justice, Faith, and Identity in Irish Crime Fiction, by Anjili Babbar (Best Mystery-related Nonfiction/Critical). Click here for all the winners. The Macavity Award is named after the poem “Macavity: The Mystery Cat” from T.S. Eliot's OLD POSSUMS BOOK OF PRACTICAL CATS, which was published 85 years ago.

I have ALL THE SINNERS BLEED on my “to be read” shelf and will be on my end-of-the-year reading list. It has won so many awards, and I wish that I had read it sooner. Yes, I do have a “Wish I Had Read It Sooner” list.

News & Pop Culture

Reader Mail: Adam wrote, “I am so excited that ALL FOURS by Miranda July has been nominated for the National Book Award. I have been a fan of hers since her debut novel, THE FIRST BAD MAN, nine years ago, and the wait has been worth it. Thank you for the signup link to watch the ceremony. I will be tuning in. I took Bookreporter’s survey, and one thing not mentioned was your take on books that have been transferred to the small screen. I always enjoy your uncensored take on the transfer. As always, thank you for all that you provide.”

Adam, thank you for your kind words. I thought about including something about Books on Screen in the survey but opted not to as we are looking for trends from readers about non-Bookreporter-specific content, except for watching our programming. But you have given me an idea for a poll question in the weeks to come.

Wolfs on Apple TV+: Last Friday night, I just needed to laugh. So I turned to George Clooney and Brad Pitt, and they did not let me down. It's an amusing film --- nothing deep, but just perfect for a Friday night.

“Emperor of Ocean Park” on MGM+: My husband and I really enjoyed this series, which was adapted from Stephen L. Carter’s book. We started watching it when the last episodes were airing as we like to have the entire story ready to view.

“Bad Monkey” on Apple TV+: We are watching this series and enjoying it. Vince Vaughn is great in this adaptation of Carl Hiaasen’s novel. 

Into the Fire: The Lost Daughter on Netflix: In this two-part documentary, a tenacious mother unravels the complex mystery surrounding the 1989 disappearance of the daughter she placed for adoption. The doggedness of this woman is impressive.

“Killer Inside: The Mind of Aaron Hernandez” on Netflix: This docuseries came out in 2020, but I had missed it. Via interviews with friends, players and insiders, it examines how Aaron Hernandez went from an NFL star to a convicted killer. Watching what happens with the legal system is so interesting.

Sharon Virts on People.com: Sharon, whose new historical novel, THE GRAYS OF TRUTH, releases on October 29th, writes about 20 scary books that you will want to read this Halloween season. Click here for the piece.

Good idea of the week! I read that Home Depot ordered all of its corporate employees, including senior management, to work one eight-hour retail shift every quarter so they could “truly understand the challenges and opportunities our store associates face every day.” I think that all of us in the book business should spend a day at a bookstore to get a handle on what happens with readers in stores. Years ago, I suggested to a CEO at a book publisher that they send their entire staff home a week early for Christmas, and ask them to spend time in bookstores and report what they see when they came back in January. Talking to readers is really the best research. I do it wherever I go, but getting to see people boots on the ground is perfect.

We have a three-day weekend ahead as we celebrate Columbus Day on Monday. This has been the case ever since we started the company and my sons were off from school. I thought that the time between Labor Day and Thanksgiving deserved an extra day off. And we kept it in place, even though the boys are long out of school.

I am determined to get to the farmers' market on Sunday. I want some fresh eucalyptus, and I would like to see if they have in stock the watermelon radishes that I love. The radishes keep for a long time, so I stock up on them! I got a pumpkin muffin recipe from author Marie Bostwick that I am dying to try. And it’s time for me to grab some ears of corn, shuck the kernels off, and freeze them for winter baking.

The pool cover will be finding its way onto the pool as I cannot glue the leaves back on quickly enough. Using the pool strainer is becoming way too routine. Temperatures were headed to possible freeze zone temps the other night. So Tom brought all the houseplants into the garage, where the bugs can crawl off them before we bring them into the house, and I can find whatever I am supposed to spray on them.

Featured Review:
WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? by Sophie Kinsella
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? by Sophie Kinsella (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Sally Phillips
Eve is a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband explains that she has had an operation to remove the large, malignant tumor growing in her brain. As Eve learns to walk, talk and write again --- and as she wrestles with her diagnosis, and how and when to explain it to her beloved children --- she begins to recall what’s most important to her: long walks with her husband’s hand clasped firmly around her own, family game nights, and always buying that dress when she sees it. Recounted in brief anecdotes, each one is an attempt to answer the type of impossible questions recognizable to anyone navigating the labyrinth of grief. Reviewed by Jane T. Krebs.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read our review.

WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? will be a Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's Bets On commentary later this month.

Featured Review:
BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS by Ina Garten
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS: A Memoir by Ina Garten (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Ina Garten
Here, for the first time, Ina Garten presents an intimate, entertaining and inspiring account of her remarkable journey. Ina’s gift is to make everything look easy, yet all her accomplishments have been the result of hard work, audacious choices and exquisite attention to detail. In her unmistakable voice (no one tells a story like Ina), she brings her past and her process to life in a high-spirited and no-holds-barred memoir that chronicles decades of personal challenges, adventures (and misadventures) and unexpected career twists, all delivered with her signature combination of playfulness and purpose. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read our review.

BE READY WHEN THE LUCK HAPPENS will be a Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's Bets On commentary later this month.

Featured Review:
THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN
by Lynda Cohen Loigman

THE LOVE ELIXIR OF AUGUSTA STERN by Lynda Cohen Loigman (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Gabra Zackman
On the cusp of turning 80, newly retired pharmacist Augusta Stern is adrift. When she relocates to Rallentando Springs, an active senior community in southern Florida, she unexpectedly crosses paths with Irving Rivkin, the delivery boy from her father’s old pharmacy --- and the man who broke her heart 60 years earlier. Augusta is still haunted by the mistakes of her past. What happened all those years ago, and how did her plan involving her Great Aunt Esther’s most potent elixir go so spectacularly wrong? Did Irving ever truly love her, or was he simply playing a part? And can Augusta reclaim the magic of her youth before it’s too late? 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 read our review.

Our 2024 Reader Survey:
Complete It and You Can Be Eligible to Win a Prize!

It's been a long time since we surveyed our Bookreporter readers. We know that much has changed over the past few years, so we thought now would be a great time to reach out to you and ask some questions.

The results of our 2024 Reader Survey will help us determine how to enhance your experiences with Bookreporter and our programs, especially as we look ahead to 2025.

We are awarding three readers who finish the survey a $50 gift card to the bookstore of their choice, while five others will be selected to win a book from Bookreporter's shelves.

The survey, which should take approximately 10-15 minutes to complete, will be open until Friday, October 18th at noon ET.

We are looking forward to hearing what you have to say!

Click here to take our 2024 Reader Survey.

Featured Review:
IDENTITY UNKNOWN by Patricia Cornwell

IDENTITY UNKNOWN: A Scarpetta Novel by Patricia Cornwell (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by January LaVoy
Summoned to an abandoned theme park to retrieve a body, Dr. Kay Scarpetta is devastated to learn that the victim is a man she once had an intense love affair with. The murder scene is bizarre, with a crop circle of petals around the body, and Sal Giordano’s skin is strangely red. Scarpetta’s niece, Lucy, believes he was dropped from an unidentified flying craft. Scarpetta knows an autopsy can reveal the dead’s secrets, but she is shocked to find that her friend seems to have deliberately left her a clue. As the investigators are torn between suspicions of otherworldly forces, and of Giordano himself, Scarpetta detects an explanation closer to home that, in her mind, is far more evil. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: THE PUZZLE BOX by Danielle Trussoni

THE PUZZLE BOX by Danielle Trussoni (Supernatural/Literary Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Edoardo Ballerini
It is the Year of the Wood Dragon, and the ingenious Mike Brink has been invited to Tokyo, Japan, to open the legendary Dragon Box. The box was constructed during one of Japan’s most tumultuous periods, when the samurai class was disbanded and the shogun lost power. In this moment of crisis, Emperor Meiji locked a priceless Imperial secret in the Dragon Box. Only two people knew how to open the box --- Meiji and the box’s sadistic constructor --- and both died without telling a soul what was inside or how to open it. Every 12 years since then, in the Year of the Dragon, the Imperial family holds a clandestine contest to open the box. Every puzzle master who has attempted to open it has died in the process. But Brink is not just any puzzle master. He may be the only person alive who can crack it. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

- 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.

Featured Review: THE DROWNED by John Banville

THE DROWNED by John Banville (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by John Lee
1950s, rural Ireland. A loner comes across a mysteriously empty car in a field. Knowing he shouldn’t approach but unable to hold back, he soon finds himself embroiled in a troubling missing person case, as a husband claims his wife may have thrown herself into the sea. Called in from Dublin to investigate is Detective Inspector Strafford, who soon turns to his old ally --- the flawed but brilliant pathologist Quirke --- a man he is linked to in increasingly complicated ways. But as the case unfolds, events from the past resurface that may have life-altering ramifications for all involved. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

- Click here to read more about the book.

Click here to read our review.

Bookreporter.com's 14th Annual
Fall Reading Contests and Feature

More Reviews This Week

THE LAST ONE AT THE WEDDING by Jason Rekulak (Domestic Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by John Pirhalla
Frank Szatowski is shocked when his daughter, Maggie, calls him for the first time in three years. He’s even more surprised when she invites him to her upcoming wedding in New Hampshire. Frank is ecstatic and determined to finally make things right. He arrives to find that the wedding is at a private estate. It seems that Maggie failed to mention that she’s marrying Aidan Gardner, the son of a famous tech billionaire. Feeling desperately out of place, Frank focuses on reconnecting with Maggie and getting to know her new family. But Aidan is withdrawn and evasive; Maggie doesn’t seem to have time for him; and he finds that the locals are disturbingly hostile to the Gardners. Frank needs to know more about this family his daughter is marrying into, but if he pushes too hard, he could lose her forever. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE BOOK OF WITCHING by C. J. Cooke (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Paula Masterton
Clem gets a call that is every mother’s worst nightmare. Her 19-year-old daughter, Erin, is unconscious in the hospital after a hiking trip with her friends on the remote Orkney Islands that met a horrifying end, leaving her boyfriend dead and her best friend missing. When Erin wakes, she doesn’t recognize her mother. And she doesn’t answer to her name but insists she is someone named Nyx. Clem travels the site of her daughter’s accident, determined to find out what happened to her. The answer may lie in a dark secret in the history of the Orkneys: a woman wrongly accused of witchcraft and murder four centuries ago. Clem begins to wonder if Erin’s strange behavior is a symptom of a broken mind or the effects of an ancient curse. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

SHE-WOLVES: The Untold History of Women on Wall Street by Paulina Bren (History)
Audiobook available, read by Rebecca Lam
First came the secretaries from Brooklyn and Queens --- the “smart cookies” who saw that making money, lots of it, might be within their grasp. Then came the first female Harvard Business School graduates, who were in for a rude awakening because an equal degree did not mean equal opportunity. But by the 1980s, as the market went into turbodrive, women were being plucked from elite campuses to feed the belly of a rapidly expanding beast, playing for high stakes in Wall Street’s bad-boy culture by day and clubbing by night. In SHE-WOLVES, award-winning historian Paulina Bren tells the story of how women infiltrated Wall Street from the swinging '60s to 9/11 --- starting at a time when “No Ladies” signs hung across the doors of its luncheon clubs and (more discretely) inside its brokerage houses and investment banks. Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro.

FIRST DO NO HARM by Joe Kenda (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Joe Kenda and Bradford Hastings
A string of overdoses in Colorado Springs has Detectives Joe Kenda and Lee Wilson on the lookout for a bad batch of heroin that has been cut with a drug they've never seen before. Meanwhile, at Springs General Hospital, Dr. Blair Moreland --- the notoriously unpleasant head anesthesiologist --- has found a way to feed his deepening addiction to the very same powerful new drug: Fentanyl. But when Dr. Moreland starts supplying the dangerous painkiller to dealer Lula Lopez --- planning to manufacture the drug himself --- he angers a Mexican crime syndicate and sets into motion a cycle of death and violence that threatens to engulf the entire city. Detectives Kenda and Wilson must track down the source of this killer heroin before anyone else can overdose --- and stop Moreland before he can escape the long arm of the law. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

THE RESTAURANT OF LOST RECIPES written by Hisashi Kashiwai, translated by Jesse Kirkwood (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Hanako Footman
Tucked away down a Kyoto backstreet lies the extraordinary Kamogawa Diner, run by Chef Nagare and his daughter, Koishi. The father-daughter duo have reinvented themselves as “food detectives,” offering a service that goes beyond cooking mouth-watering meals. Through their culinary sleuthing, they revive lost recipes and rekindle forgotten memories. From the Olympic swimmer who misses his estranged father’s bento lunchbox to the one-hit-wonder pop star who remembers the tempura she ate to celebrate her only successful record, each customer leaves the diner forever changed --- though not always in the ways they expect. The Kamogawa Diner doesn’t just serve meals. It’s a door to the past through the miracle of delicious food. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.

ECHOES OF US by Joy Jordan-Lake (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Caroline Hewitt
In the midst of World War II, a Tennessee farm boy, a Jewish Cambridge student and a German POW forge a connection that endures --- against all odds. But now everything that Will Dobbins, Dov Silverberg and Hans Hessler fought for is at risk as their descendants clash for control of the corporation they founded together. In an attempt to remake its tattered corporate image, the firm hires event planner Hadley Jacks and her sister, Kitzie, to organize a reunion for the families on St. Simons Island, Georgia, the place that changed all three men’s lives forever. As Hadley and her sister delve into the friends’ past, they uncover the life of the courageous young woman who links them all together...and the old wounds that could tear everything apart. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.

THE REST OF YOU by Maame Blue (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Sara Novak and Ekua Ekumah
On the cusp of 30, Ghanaian Londoner Whitney Appiah was born with a special gift. The massage therapist can physically sense where her clients’ trauma lies and heal them. But Whitney has no idea that she, too, is suffering. Tragic events from her youth have left a terrible, unseen mark. When a dangerous encounter with the man she’s dating triggers a wave of fragmented recollections, Whitney embarks on a journey to reclaim her memories and the truth that is buried deep in her early years growing up in Kumasi, Ghana, during the 1990s. Spanning three decades, told through the viewpoints of Whitney, sisters Gloria and Aretha, and their house help Maame Serwaa, THE REST OF YOU explores what happens when we try to move forward through the lacuna of our past. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.

Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on October 15th

Below are some notable titles releasing on October 15th 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 October 14th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

A CHRISTMAS DUET by Debbie Macomber (Romance)
A solo holiday trip inspires one woman to rediscover her passion --- and remember that, sometimes, duets are more fun --- in this romantic Christmas novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber.

DOGS AND MONSTERS: Stories by Mark Haddon (Fiction/Short Stories)
From the author of THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME and THE PORPOISE comes eight mesmerizingly imaginative, deeply humane stories that use Greek myths and contemporary dystopian narratives to examine mortality, moral choices and the many variants of love.

DON'T BE A STRANGER by Susan Minot (Fiction)
A woman is swept into a love affair at mid-life. DON'T BE A STRANGER is a luminous story about erotic obsession, the hunger for intimacy, communication and oblivion that will appeal to readers of Miranda July's ALL FOURS.

FRAMED: Astonishing True Stories of Wrongful Convictions by John Grisham and Jim McCloskey (True Crime)
In his first work of nonfiction since THE INNOCENT MAN, John Grisham teams up with Jim McCloskey of Centurion Ministries to share 10 harrowing true stories of wrongful convictions.

THE GREAT HIPPOPOTAMUS HOTEL: No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (25) by Alexander McCall Smith (Mystery)
In this latest installment of Alexander McCall Smith’s beloved No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency, Mma Ramotswe and Mma Makutsi take on an intriguing new case and uncover surprising truths.

LIBBY LOST AND FOUND by Stephanie Booth (Fiction)
LIBBY LOST AND FOUND is a book for people who don't know who they are without the books they love. It's about the stories we tell ourselves and the chapters of our lives we regret. Most importantly, it's about the endings we write for ourselves.

THE MAN IN BLACK: And Other Stories by Elly Griffiths (Mystery & Thriller/Short Stories)
From the internationally bestselling author of the Ruth Galloway mysteries comes an eclectic, thrilling collection of short stories, featuring many characters that readers have come to know and love.

MIDNIGHT AND BLUE: An Inspector Rebus Novel by Ian Rankin (Mystery)
John Rebus spent his life as a cop putting Edinburgh's most deadly criminals behind bars. Now having been convicted of a homicide, he's joined them.

THE MORE THE TERRIER: An Andy Carpenter Mystery by David Rosenfelt (Mystery)
The next installment in David Rosenfelt’s bestselling Andy Carpenter series brings a lone pup to his doorstep, but when it comes to dogs, THE MORE THE TERRIER.

SONNY BOY: A Memoir by Al Pacino (Memoir)
From one of the most iconic actors in the history of film comes an astonishingly revelatory account of a creative life in full.

THE WAITING: A Ballard and Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly (Thriller)
LAPD Detective Renée Ballard tracks a serial rapist whose trail has gone cold and enlists a new volunteer to the Open-Unsolved Unit: Patrol Officer Maddie Bosch, Harry’s daughter.

WHAT I ATE IN ONE YEAR: (and related thoughts) by Stanley Tucci (Memoir)
From award-winning actor and New York Times bestselling author Stanley Tucci comes a deliciously unique memoir chronicling a year’s worth of meals.

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

From left to right: Louis Bayard, Stephanie Wrobel, Michael Connelly

  Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events

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

Monday, October 14th at 10am ET: Novel Suspects: Join Novel Suspects for a live discussion with New York Times bestselling authors Michael Connelly (THE WAITING: A Ballard and Bosch Novel) and Ian Rankin (MIDNIGHT AND BLUE: An Inspector Rebus Novel), who will be in conversation with Allen Eskens.

Monday, October 14th at 7pm ET: Murder By The Book: Stephanie Wrobel will talk to Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello about her latest thriller, THE HITCHCOCK HOTEL, in which a Hitchcock fanatic with an agenda invites old friends for a weekend stay at his secluded themed hotel.

Wednesday, October 16th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Ron Block and Kristy Woodson Harvey will talk to Marybeth Mayhew Whalen about her new novel, EVERY MOMENT SINCE. A small Southern town. An ordinary Saturday night. A little boy disappears without a trace.

Thursday, October 17th at 7pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's presents Louis Bayard as he discusses his new book, THE WILDES: A Novel in Five Acts, with Benjamin Dreyer. In this singularly powerful novel, Bayard brings Oscar Wilde’s wife and two sons out from the shadows of history and creates a vivid and poignant story of secrets, loss and love.

Thursday, October 17th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Lev AC Rosen will talk about his latest novel, ROUGH PAGES, which is set in atmospheric 1950s San Francisco and asks: Who is allowed to tell their own stories, and how far would you go to seek out the truth?

 "Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts

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

Here is our latest interview:

• Jean Hanff Korelitz (THE SEQUEL) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed this year include:

• Caro Carver (BAD TOURISTS) Video | Podcast
• Laura Dave (THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM) Video | Podcast
• Marjan Kamali (THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN) Video | Podcast
• Amy Neff (THE DAYS I LOVED YOU MOST) Video | Podcast
• T.J. Newman (WORST CASE SCENARIO) Video | Podcast
• Ruth Reichl (THE PARIS NOVEL) Video | Podcast
• Dawn Tripp (JACKIE) Video | Podcast
• Chris Whitaker (ALL THE COLORS OF THE DARK) Video | Podcast
• Beatriz Williams (HUSBANDS & LOVERS) Video | Podcast
• Lisa Wingate (SHELTERWOOD) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Paula Hawkins (THE BLUE HOUR)
• Susan Rieger (LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER)
• Sharon Virts (THE GRAYS OF TRUTH)

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

Our Latest Poll:
October Fiction Releases to Anticipate

Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, October 18th at noon ET.

Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What
You've Read --- and You Can Win Two Books!

Click here to enter the contest.

Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com

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"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts | "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books"
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