|
Never Miss a Contest or a Promotion!
Follow and Like Us on Social Media
Where did April go? I am going with the theory that April showers bring May flowers. We DO have a lot of flowers popping up. I need to find the map of what was planted where.
I had a fun time meeting Georgia Hunter last weekend at the Montclair Literary Festival. I loved hearing her talk about her research for ONE GOOD THING. I also enjoyed meeting her mother, who had accompanied her on her research trip to Italy. I shared what I would like Georgia to take on next. Let’s see if it happens!
Then I caught up with Lisa Unger before her panel, which was moderated by Mark Rotella, who I have known for a long time. It was Lisa’s birthday, so it took a lot of self-control not to lead the room in song. Okay, my voice is so bad that they might have wondered what I was warbling!
On Tuesday night, Marjan Kamali joined us for April’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event to discuss THE LION WOMEN OF TEHRAN. This national bestseller and a 2024 Bookreporter.com Bets On selection is a heartfelt novel of friendship, betrayal and redemption set against three transformative decades in Tehran, Iran.
Marjan talks about her inspiration for the book, which came from a childhood friendship. She also explains how she developed the storyline and fleshed it out from there. And in addition to sharing her writing process, Marjan fills us in on what she is working on now. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
Discovered in a portable filing cabinet next to Joan Didion’s desk after her death, the newly released NOTES TO JOHN is a journal in which Didion describes sessions with a psychiatrist. These reports are addressed to her husband, John Gregory Dunne. Didion was a notoriously private person, so the book’s release has sparked discussion as to whether or not she intended for these very personal writings to be published.
Here’s what Harvey Freedenberg says about the book in his review: “NOTES TO JOHN is a sad document, and reading it there’s at least a slight sense of voyeurism as we eavesdrop on these therapy sessions. Didion had many years to destroy it and chose not to, perhaps assuming --- even desiring --- that someday it would be read by a wider audience. The result of that decision is this unique opportunity to see Tolstoy’s observation about unhappy families play out on the page.”
I am so conflicted about this book, and Harvey has captured why I feel that way.
This week, we’re happy to share our review of THE MAID’S SECRET, the final book in Nita Prose’s series featuring Molly the Maid, which I have been raving about over the last few weeks and is a recent Bets On pick.
According to our reviewer Kate Ayers, “THE MAID’S SECRET certainly will keep you wondering how it all can be put right as you turn the pages. Somehow it does. In each chapter, Flora’s story will fascinate, tug at the heartstrings, and cause a bit of melancholy...maybe even some anger. This delightful book will evoke emotions, elicit tears and smiles, and ultimately leave readers with a sense of peace. Fans of Nita Prose can rejoice in the satisfaction of a series well done.”
If you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Nita, click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
Our Mother's Day Author Blogs Are Back!
Nita Prose kicks off our Mother’s Day Author Blog series, which we have brought back for a 16th year. Once again, we’re sharing pieces from 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. Click here to read Nita’s wonderful piece, “In Praise of Our Mothers and Their Stories.”
Next week, we will hear from Colleen Cambridge (A FASHIONABLY FRENCH MURDER), Mary Dixie Carter (MARGUERITE BY THE LAKE), Sharon Kurtzman (THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA), and Anna Snoekstra (THE ONES WE LOVE). We are so grateful that these authors have taken the time to share their personal remembrances with us.
We also are featuring reviews of these two books:
-
MY NEXT BREATH: Two-time Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner recounts the horrifying yet inspiring story of his near-fatal snowplow accident on New Year’s Day 2023, and what he learned about inner strength, endurance and hope. Jeremy was on “CBS Mornings” to talk about the book. Click here to watch the interview.
-
THE AMALFI CURSE: In this new novel from Sarah Penner, the author of THE LOST APOTHECARY and THE LONDON SÉANCE SOCIETY, a nautical archaeologist searching for sunken treasure unearths a centuries-old curse, powerful witchcraft and perilous love.
Announcing This Year’s Summer Reading Feature
Our Summer Reading contests are back for a 21st year! On select days through mid-August, we will host a series of 24-hour giveaways and on each of the contest days award five readers a book that we think is a great summer read. You will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win.
We also will send a special newsletter to announce the day's title, along with a Summer Reading Preview newsletter THIS Monday, May 5th. Click here to sign up for these dedicated newsletters and here to take a look at this year’s prize books.
These contests kick off next week with our first two prizes: BROKEN COUNTRY by Clare Leslie Hall (a Bets On title) and SKIN & BONES by Renée Watson. The first giveaway will be up on Tuesday, May 6th at noon ET.
Our "Books Mom Will Love" Contest
You have until Monday, May 12th at noon ET to enter our Mother's Day contest, where five readers will win 10 fabulous titles for themselves or the mom in their lives. Among them are THE FOURTH GIRL by Wendy Corsi Staub and THE NIGHTINGALE 10th ANNIVERSARY EDITION by Kristin Hannah. Click here to see all of this year’s Mother’s Day prize books.
Books on Screen Offerings for May
We’ve updated our Books on Screen feature for this month. May’s roundup includes the series premieres of "The Better Sister" on Prime Video, "Dept. Q" and "Forever" on Netflix, and "Miss Austen" on PBS "Masterpiece"; the season premieres of Hulu's "Nine Perfect Strangers," Max's "And Just Like That..." and AMC's "The Walking Dead: Dead City"; the series finales of "The Handmaid's Tale" on Hulu and "The Last Anniversary" on Sundance Now and AMC+; the season finales of CBS's "Tracker" and "Watson," as well as ABC's "Will Trent"; the films Juliet & Romeo and Fear Street: Prom Queen; and the DVD/Blu-ray releases of Captain America: Brave New World, Mickey 17 and Being Maria.
Revisiting Our “Bookaccino Live” Book Group Event with Shelby Van Pelt
Out in paperback this week is Shelby Van Pelt’s New York Times bestseller, REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES, which is being adapted into a Netflix film starring Sally Field. Shelby joined us last February for a “Bookaccino Live” Book Group discussion of the book. If you missed the event, be sure to watch the video or listen to the podcast.
Word of Mouth Contest Reminder
Remember to submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win our current Word of Mouth prizes: MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman and MY NAME IS EMILIA DEL VALLE by Isabel Allende, both of which release on Tuesday. The deadline for your submissions is Friday, May 9th at noon ET.
Remember to Vote in Our Poll
You also have until next Friday at noon ET to answer our poll, which continues to ask which of 35 fiction titles releasing this month you are planning to read.
Last night, Mystery Writers of America announced the winners of this year’s Edgar Awards, which honor the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction and television published or produced in 2024.
Among the recipients are THE IN CROWD by Charlotte Vassell (Best Novel), THE PARIS WIDOW by Kimberly Belle (Best Paperback Original), THE INFERNAL MACHINE: A True Story of Dynamite, Terror, and the Rise of the Modern Detective, by Steven Johnson (Best Fact Crime), JAMES SALLIS: A Companion to the Mystery Fiction, by Nathan Ashman (Best Critical/Biographical), and THE COMFORT OF GHOSTS by Jacqueline Winspear (The G.P. Putnam’s Sons Sue Grafton Memorial Award). You can see all the winners here.
The 45th annual Los Angeles Times Book Prizes were awarded last Friday night at the University of Southern California’s Bovard Auditorium.
The winners include ORWELL'S GHOSTS: Wisdom and Warnings for the Twenty-First Century, by Laura Beers (Biography), THE RENT COLLECTORS: Exploitation, Murder, and Redemption in Immigrant LA, by Jesse Katz (Current Interest), SAY HELLO TO MY LITTLE FRIEND by Jennine Capó Crucet (Fiction), THE PUZZLE BOX by Danielle Trussoni (Mystery/Thriller), and THE BOOK OF LOVE by Kelly Link (Science Fiction, Fantasy & Speculative Fiction). Click here for all the winners.
On Tuesday, May 13th at 7pm ET, Leigh Haber will host the Buzz Books Editors & Authors Fiction Panel, a free virtual event sponsored by Publishers Lunch and the American Booksellers Association.
Five authors will chat with their editors about their upcoming books: Clay Cane (BURN DOWN MASTER'S HOUSE), Catherine Chidgey (THE BOOK OF GUILT), Leodora Darlington (THE EXES), Ann Packer (SOME BRIGHT NOWHERE), and Shen Tao (THE POET EMPRESS). You can register for the event by clicking here.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
We received this lovely note from Joan, who lives in Calgary, Canada: “Your 'Bookreporter Talks To' interviews are simply the best. You make the authors feel like they are chatting in a cozy living room across from you, which engages your listeners too. I had started the last Molly the Maid book, so I really enjoyed the discussion you had with Nita Prose. I just finished it and thought the two storylines worked beautifully, and the ending had a nice bow on it. Thanks for all you do for the reading community, from authors you champion to your Bets On picks, which are always worth reading.
“Saturday mornings with a cup of coffee and Bookreporter are something special to jump-start the weekend. After many years of subscribing, I enjoy hearing about your knitting, weekend plans, family and events as you describe the books you are reading or looking forward to reading. Please know what a source of delight you are to a long-time reader.”
Joan, I love visualizing you reading the newsletter on Saturdays. I shared your note with the team, who so appreciated it.
Marie won a copy of THE PAGE TURNER in a Spring Reading contest and shared the above photo. If only cats could read! I do love the flower arrangement as well.
Diane wrote about winning a “Bookaccino Live” prize: “Thank you so much for sending me THE SUMMER GUESTS. I read Tess Gerritsen's previous books and enjoyed them. The CIA is down the road from my home in McLean, VA, so her new book was on my list. I love your newsletter and look forward to it each week. I have encouraged people to subscribe to your newsletter, and they love it. Thank you for making book selection easy.”
I finished THE GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark, which will be a Bets On selection. Oh, and I failed to mention that THE DOORMAN by Chris Pavone will be a Bets On pick as well. Now I am reading SPEAK TO ME OF HOME by Jeanine Cummins, which I am enjoying, and I am working on scheduling an interview with her. I finished listening to HARLEM RHAPSODY by Victoria Christopher Murray, which will be another upcoming Bets On title, and I will set up a time to talk to Victoria. I knew nothing about the Harlem Renaissance.
Next week will be crazy busy. There are book events three nights, plus a memorial service for Jesse Kornbluth, so I am vowing to keep this weekend quiet. Tom and I are going to yoga on both Saturday and Sunday. I will try to ignore the 6,000 things that I think need to be done around the house. Any week now, I know that it will be time to get outside for the 6,000 things to be done there as well. Maybe I just will make lists. That’s okay, right?
Read on, and have a great week.
Carol Fitzgerald (Carol@bookreporter.com)
P.S. For those of you who shop online, if you use the store links that appear on our site for shopping, Bookreporter.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and IndieBound. As you read our reviews and features, we would appreciate your considering this as you buy!
Featured Review: NOTES TO JOHN by Joan Didion
NOTES TO JOHN by Joan Didion (Diary)
Audiobook available, read by Julianne Moore
In November 1999, Joan Didion began seeing a psychiatrist because, as she wrote to a friend, her family had had “a rough few years.” She described the sessions in a journal she created for her husband, John Gregory Dunne. For several months, Didion recorded conversations with the psychiatrist in meticulous detail. The initial sessions focused on alcoholism, adoption, depression, anxiety, guilt, and the heartbreaking complexities of her relationship with her daughter, Quintana. The subjects evolved to include her work, which she was finding difficult to maintain for sustained periods. There were discussions about her own childhood and the question of legacy, or, as she put it, “what it’s been worth.” The analysis would continue for more than a decade. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE MAID’S SECRET by Nita Prose
A Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
THE MAID'S SECRET: A Maid Novel by Nita Prose (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Lauren Ambrose
As the esteemed Head Maid and Special Events Manager of the Regency Grand Hotel, two good things are just around the corner for Molly Gray --- a taping of the hit antiquities TV show “Hidden Treasures” and her wedding to Juan Manuel. When Molly brings in some old trinkets to be appraised on the show, one item is revealed to be a rare and coveted artifact worth millions. Molly becomes a rags-to-riches sensation, and a media frenzy swirls as she prepares to sell her priceless treasure. Then, on auction day, the treasure suddenly vanishes, and Molly and her friends find themselves at the center of the boldest art heist in recent memory. But the key to this mystery lies in the past, in a long-forgotten diary written by Molly’s Gran. For the first time ever, Molly learns about her grandmother’s secrets. As fate would have it, Gran’s greatest love was someone Molly knows quite well. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
- 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 Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Nita Prose.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read our review.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's 21st 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 mid-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 first two contests will be up at noon ET on Tuesday, May 6th and Wednesday, May 7th. The prize books will be BROKEN COUNTRY by Clare Leslie Hall and SKIN & BONES by Renée Watson.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
Bookreporter.com’s 20th Annual
Mother’s Day Contest: Books Mom Will Love
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 20th annual "Books Mom Will Love" contest. From now through Monday, May 12th at noon ET, readers can enter to win one of our five prize packages, which includes 10 great titles that we think moms will love.
This year's prize books are:
Click here to enter the contest.
Announcing Bookreporter.com’s
16th Annual Mother’s Day Author Blogs
Our Mother's Day Author Blogs are back for a 16th year! Once again, we are excited to be sharing pieces from 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.
Featured Review: MY NEXT BREATH by Jeremy Renner
MY NEXT BREATH: A Memoir by Jeremy Renner (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Jeremy Renner
Two-time Oscar nominee Jeremy Renner was the second most googled person in 2023…and not for his impressive filmography. On New Year’s Day 2023, a 14,000-pound snowplow crushed him. Somehow able to keep breathing for more than half an hour, he was subsequently rushed to the ICU, after which he would face multiple surgeries and months of painful rehabilitation. In MY NEXT BREATH, Jeremy writes in blistering detail about his accident and the aftermath. This retelling is not merely a gruesome account of what happened to him; it’s a call to action and a forged companionship between reader and author as Jeremy recounts his recovery journey and reflects on the impact of his suffering. Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE AMALFI CURSE by Sarah Penner
THE AMALFI CURSE by Sarah Penner (Historical Fantasy/Adventure)
Audiobook available; read by Saskia Maarleveld, Carlotta Brentan, Chris Andrew Ciulla and Eric Yang
Haven Ambrose, a trailblazing nautical archaeologist, has come to the sun-soaked village of Positano to investigate the mysterious shipwrecks along the Amalfi Coast. But she also is secretly on a quest to locate a trove of priceless gemstones her late father spotted on his final dive. Upon her arrival, strange maelstroms and misfortunes start plaguing the town. Is it nature or something more sinister at work? As Haven searches for her father’s sunken treasure, she begins to unearth a centuries-old tale of ancient sorcery and one woman’s quest to save her lover and her village by using the legendary art of stregheria, a magical ability to harness the ocean. Could this magic be behind Positano’s latest calamities? Haven must unravel the Amalfi Curse before the region is destroyed forever. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
Click here to read our review.
May’s Books on Screen Feature
Here is a preview of this month's movies, TV shows and DVDs/Blu-rays that are based on books. For a complete list of May's offerings, please click here.
Film Releases
Juliet & Romeo
Release Date: Friday, May 9th (wide release in theaters)
Based on: ROMEO & JULIET by William Shakespeare
Fear Street: Prom Queen
Release Date: Friday, May 23rd on Netflix
Based on: FEAR STREET: THE PROM QUEEN by R. L. Stine
Series Premieres
"Forever"
Release Date: Thursday, May 8th on Netflix (all episodes of Season 1 will be available)
Based on: FOREVER... by Judy Blume
"The Better Sister" (8-episode limited series)
Release Date: Thursday, May 29th on Prime Video (all episodes of the series will be available)
Based on: THE BETTER SISTER by Alafair Burke
"Dept. Q"
Release Date: Thursday, May 29th on Netflix
Based on: The Department Q series by Jussi Adler-Olsen
Season Premieres
"The Walking Dead: Dead City"
Air Dates: Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on AMC; Season 2 Premiere on May 4th
Based on: The comic book series The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman, Tony Moore and Charlie Adlard
"Nine Perfect Strangers"
Release Dates: Wednesdays on Hulu; Season 2 Premiere on May 21st (the first two episodes will be available)
Based on: NINE PERFECT STRANGERS by Liane Moriarty
"And Just Like That..."
Release Dates: Thursdays on Max; Season 3 Premiere on May 29th
Based on: SEX AND THE CITY by Candace Bushnell
Series Finales
"The Last Anniversary" (6-episode limited series)
Release Dates: Sundays on Sundance Now and AMC+; Series Finale on May 4th
Based on: THE LAST ANNIVERSARY by Liane Moriarty
"The Handmaid's Tale"
Release Dates: Tuesdays on Hulu; Series Finale on May 27th
Based on: THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood
Season Finales
"Tracker"
Air Dates: Sundays at 8pm ET/PT on CBS; Season 2 Finale on May 11th
Based on: THE NEVER GAME by Jeffery Deaver
"Watson"
Air Dates: Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on CBS; Season 1 Finale on May 11th
Based on: The works of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
"Will Trent"
Air Dates: Tuesdays at 8pm ET/PT on ABC; Season 3 Finale on May 13th
Based on: The Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter
On DVD and Blu-ray
Mickey 17
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: Tuesday, May 13th
Based on: MICKEY7 by Edward Ashton
Click here to see our Books on Screen feature for May.
THE FATE OF THE DAY: The War for America, Fort Ticonderoga to Charleston, 1777-1780 by Rick Atkinson (History)
Audiobook available, read by Grover Gardner
The first 21 months of the American Revolution --- which began at Lexington and ended at Princeton --- was the story of a ragged group of militiamen and soldiers fighting to forge a new nation. By the winter of 1777, the exhausted Continental Army could claim only that it had barely escaped annihilation by the world’s most formidable fighting force. Two years into the war, George III is as determined as ever to bring his rebellious colonies to heel. But the king’s task is now far more complicated. Fighting a determined enemy on the other side of the Atlantic has become ruinously expensive, and spies tell him that the French and Spanish are threatening to join forces with the Americans. Prize-winning historian Rick Atkinson provides a riveting narrative covering the middle years of the Revolution. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
2 SISTERS MURDER INVESTIGATIONS by James Patterson and Candice Fox (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Mela Lee
Rhonda and Barbara “Baby” Bird are half-sisters --- and full partners in their Los Angeles detective agency. They agree on nothing. Rhonda, a former attorney, takes a by-the-book approach to solving crimes, while teenage Baby relies on her street smarts. But when they take a controversial case of a loner whose popular wife has gone missing, they’re accused of being PIs who can’t tell a client from a killer. The Bird sisters share a late father, but not much else…except their willingness to fight. Fight the system. Fight for the underdog. Fight for the truth. If they can stop fighting each other long enough to work together. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE STAIRCASE IN THE WOODS by Chuck Wendig (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available; read by Jay Myers, Amber Benson and Xe Sands
Five high school friends are bonded by an oath to protect one another no matter what. Then, on a camping trip in the middle of the forest, they find something extraordinary: a mysterious staircase to nowhere. One friend walks up --- and never comes back down. Then the staircase disappears. Twenty years later, the staircase has reappeared. Now the group returns to find the lost boy --- and what lies beyond the staircase in the woods. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
HOW TO SEAL YOUR OWN FATE by Kristen Perrin (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Alexandra Dowling and Jessica Hayles
Present day: Annie Adams is just settling into life in Castle Knoll when local fortune teller Peony Lane shares a cryptic message only hours before being found dead inside the locked Gravesdown Estate. Annie has no choice but to delve into the dark secrets of her new countryside home in order to find out just what Peony Lane was trying to warn her about. 1967: Teenage Frances Adams, Annie’s great aunt, finds herself caught between two men. Ford Gravesdown is one of the only remaining members of a family known for its wealth and dubious uses of power. Archie Foyle is a local who can’t hold down a job and lives above the village pub. But when Frances teams up with Archie to investigate the car crash that killed most of Ford's family, it quickly becomes clear that this was no accident. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
THE LIBRARY OF LOST DOLLHOUSES by Elise Hooper (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Rankin and Caroline Hewitt
Tildy Barrows, Head Curator of a beautiful archival library in San Francisco, is meticulously dedicated to the century’s worth of inventory housed in her beloved Beaux Art building. But her life takes an unexpected turn when she learns the library is on the verge of bankruptcy and discovers two exquisite never-before-seen dollhouses. After finding clues hidden within these remarkable miniatures, Tildy sets out to decipher the secret history of the dollhouses, aiming to salvage her cherished library in the process. Her journey introduces her to a world of ambitious and gifted women in Belle Époque Paris, a group of scarred World War I veterans in the English countryside, and Walt Disney’s bustling Burbank studio in the 1950s. As Tildy unravels the mystery, she finds not only inspiring, hidden history, but also a future for herself --- and an astonishing familial revelation. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
THE ROAD TO TENDER HEARTS by Annie Hartnett (Fiction/Dark Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Mark Bramhall
At 63 years old, million-dollar lottery winner PJ Halliday would be the luckiest man in Pondville, Massachusetts, if it weren’t for the tragedies of his life: the sudden death of his eldest daughter and the way his marriage fell apart after that. He probably doesn’t have much time left as he’s had three heart attacks already. But when PJ reads the obituary of his old romantic rival, he realizes that his high school sweetheart, Michelle Cobb, is finally single again. So he decides to drive across the country to the Tender Hearts Retirement Community in Arizona to win Michelle back. Before he can hit the road, tragedy strikes Pondville, leaving PJ the sudden guardian of his estranged brother’s grandchildren. This could be the second chance PJ has long hoped for --- a fresh shot at love and parenting --- but does he have the strength to do both those things again? Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
YANKEES, TYPEWRITERS, SCANDALS, AND COOPERSTOWN: A Baseball Memoir by Bill Madden (Sports/Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Gregory Abbey
Before he'd covered dozens of World Series; before he'd written about countless hirings, firings, superstars and scandals, Bill Madden was a cub reporter on one of his first assignments at Yankee Stadium --- and manager Ralph Houk had just gone out of his way to spit tobacco juice all over Madden's shoes. “That’s Ralph’s way with rookie writers he doesn’t recognize,” came the explanation. “He doesn’t mean anything by it.” So began a Hall of Fame scribe's career, as detailed in this clear-eyed memoir. With verve and candor, Madden reflects on five decades of triumphs, misadventures and unforgettable characters. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan (www.RonKaplansBaseballBookshelf.com).
COLD BURN: A National Parks Thriller by A. J. Landau (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Gregory Abbey
National Park Service investigator Michael Walker is battling smugglers stealing priceless artifacts when he’s dispatched to Glacier Bay National Park in Alaska, where a team of scientists has gone missing. Meanwhile, in Florida’s Everglades National Park, FBI special investigator Gina Delgado traces the murder of an environmental science intern back to another U.S. Geological Survey team’s ongoing experiments that are decimating the fragile ecosystem. That is before she’s dispatched to the scene of a sunken U.S. nuclear submarine, the entire crew of which has been inexplicably killed. The connection between these disparate investigations lies in a deadly prehistoric organism, frozen for thousands of years in the ice until global warming brings it back to life in what could mean the death of all life on Earth. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE GHOST WOODS by C. J. Cooke (Supernatural Thriller/Gothic Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Paula Masterton
In the midst of the woods stands a house called Lichen Hall. This place is shrouded in folklore --- old stories of ghosts, of witches, of a child who is not quite a child. Now the woods are creeping closer, and something has been unleashed. Pearl Gorham arrives in 1965, one of a string of young women sent to Lichen Hall to give birth. And she soon suspects the proprietors are hiding something. Then she meets the mysterious mother and young boy who live on the grounds --- and together they begin to unpack the secrets of this place. As the truth comes to the surface and the darkness moves in, Pearl must rethink everything she knew --- and risk what she holds most dear. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE DEEPEST LAKE by Andromeda Romano-Lax (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Susan Bennett and Rebecca Quinn Robertson
Rose, the mother of aspiring writer Jules, has waited three months for answers about her daughter’s death. Why was she swimming alone when she feared the water? Why did she stop texting days before she was last seen? When the official investigation rules the death an accidental drowning, an unsatisfied Rose travels to the memoir-writing workshop herself. She hopes to draw her own conclusion and find closure. When Rose arrives, she is swept into the curious world created by her daughter’s literary hero, the famous writing teacher Eva Marshall, a charismatic woman known for her candid --- and controversial --- memoirs. As Rose uncovers details about the days leading up to Jules’ disappearance, she begins to suspect that this glamorous retreat package is hiding ugly truths. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on May 6th
Below are some notable titles releasing on May 6th 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 5th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
AUSTEN AT SEA by Natalie Jenner (Historical Fiction)
Two pairs of siblings, devotees of Jane Austen, find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy.
THE CHILDREN OF EVE: A Charlie Parker Novel by John Connolly (Supernatural Thriller)
The “consistently high-quality” (Booklist) Charlie Parker series continues with a white-knuckled new thriller from New York Times bestselling author John Connolly.
THE END IS THE BEGINNING: A Personal History of My Mother by Jill Bialosky (Memoir)
Jill Bialosky, the poet behind the “tender, absorbing, and deeply moving memoir” (Entertainment Weekly) HISTORY OF A SUICIDE, returns with a lyrical portrait of her mother’s life, told in reverse order from burial to birth.
LESSONS FROM MY TEACHERS: From Preschool to the Present by Sarah Ruhl (Memoir/Essays)
Two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist and Tony Award–nominated playwright Sarah Ruhl has penned an inspiring meditation on the life-altering bonds between teacher and student, and the ineffable wisdom imparted both inside and outside the classroom.
THE MANOR OF DREAMS by Christina Li (Gothic Fiction)
MEXICAN GOTHIC meets THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO in Christina Li’s haunting novel about the secrets that lie in wait in the crumbling mansion of a former Hollywood starlet and the intertwined fates of the two Chinese American families fighting to inherit it.
MICHAEL WITHOUT APOLOGY by Catherine Ryan Hyde (Fiction)
A film student struggling with self-acceptance finally stops looking away from his traumatic past in a powerful novel by New York Times bestselling author Catherine Ryan Hyde.
THE MISSING HALF by Ashley Flowers with Alex Kiester (Mystery/Thriller)
Two women haunted by their sisters’ unsolved disappearances band together in this captivating mystery from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of ALL GOOD PEOPLE HERE and host of the #1 true crime podcast "Crime Junkie."
MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman (Fiction)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life 25 years later.
MY NAME IS EMILIA DEL VALLE by Isabel Allende (Historical Fiction)
In this spellbinding historical novel from the New York Times bestselling author of A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA and THE WIND KNOWS MY NAME, a young writer journeys to South America to uncover the truth about her father --- and herself.
THE NAMES by Florence Knapp (Fiction)
With exceptional sensitivity and depth, Florence Knapp draws us into the story of one family, told through a prism of what-ifs, causing us to consider the "one...precious life" we are given.
THE ONES WE LOVE by Anna Snoekstra (Domestic Thriller)
A novel that speaks to the challenges of both parenthood and adolescence, THE ONES WE LOVE expertly explores the inevitable contradiction that we always hurt the ones we care for, even when we would do anything to protect them.
SOUTH OF NOWHERE: A Colter Shaw Novel by Jeffery Deaver (Thriller)
The New York Times bestselling master of suspense returns to his beloved series, adapted for TV, as reward seeker Colter Shaw races against the clock to save a flooding town from a full-fledged disaster, where the culprit lurks in plain sight.
THE TENANT by Freida McFadden (Psychological Thriller)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Freida McFadden knocks at your door with a gripping story of revenge, privilege and secrets turned sour.
Click here to see the latest “On Sale This Week” newsletter.
From left to right: Lisa Scottoline, Jennifer Haigh, Mary Alice Monroe
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are six upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Every Monday night from May 5th through July 7th at 7:30pm ET: “Lisa Live”: Join Lisa Scottoline on Facebook as she reveals her inspirations behind her upcoming novel, THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA, and shows videos from her research trip to Tuscany. Then, on July 14th, join “Lisa Live” for her Virtual Publication Celebration.
And be sure to enter the Pre-Order Sweepstakes for THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA, where you have a chance to win prizes such as an iPad mini or the Grand Prize of a Gucci Mini Bag. Lisa will be giving away an exciting prize each week during her “Lisa Live” events, leading up to the book’s publication on July 15th.
Monday, May 5th at 5pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Natalie Jenner will discuss her new novel, AUSTEN AT SEA, in which two pairs of siblings --- who are devotees of Jane Austen --- find their lives transformed by a visit to England and Sir Francis Austen, her last surviving brother and keeper of a long-suppressed, secret legacy.
Tuesday, May 6th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble Book Club: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Jennifer Haigh for a live virtual event to discuss her latest novel, RABBIT MOON, which is April's B&N Book Club pick. Jennifer will be in conversation with Lexie Smyth, B&N's Fiction Category Manager.
Tuesday, May 6th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Save the date for a killer conversation with New York Times bestselling author Amy Tintera as she answers the most burning reader questions about her wildly popular “Good Morning America” Book Club pick, LISTEN FOR THE LIE.
Wednesday, May 7th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with Mary Alice Monroe about her new book, WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE, the first of two epic and triumphant novels celebrating one intrepid woman's life across multiple generations in the American South.
Thursday, May 8th at 3pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome Andromeda Romano-Lax for a live virtual discussion of THE DEEPEST LAKE, which is now available in paperback, as part of their B&N Midday Mystery Virtual Event series. Andromeda will be in conversation with Edgar Award–winning author Erin Flanagan.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers long-form, in-depth author interviews. 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:
-
Nita Prose (THE MAID'S SECRET: A Maid Novel) Video | Podcast
Other authors we've interviewed include:
-
Marie Benedict (THE QUEENS OF CRIME) Video | Podcast
-
Joseph Finder (THE OLIGARCH'S DAUGHTER) Video | Podcast
-
Clare Leslie Hall (BROKEN COUNTRY) Video | Podcast
-
Katy Hays (SALTWATER) Video | Podcast
-
Jeff Hobbs (SEEKING SHELTER: A Working Mother, Her Children, and a Story of Homelessness in America) Video | Podcast
-
Michelle Horton (DEAR SISTER: A Memoir of Secrets, Survival, and Unbreakable Bonds) Video | Podcast
-
Georgia Hunter (ONE GOOD THING) Video | Podcast
-
Tracey Lange (WHAT HAPPENED TO THE McCRAYS?) Video | Podcast
-
Scott Turow (PRESUMED GUILTY) Video | Podcast
-
Charmaine Wilkerson (GOOD DIRT) Video | Podcast
Upcoming interviews include:
-
Julie Clark (THE GHOSTWRITER)
-
Brenda Coffee (MAYA BLUE: A Memoir of Survival)
-
Chris Pavone (THE DOORMAN)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: May Fiction Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following fiction titles releasing in May do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
-
ANIMA RISING by Christopher Moore
-
BEACH HOUSE RULES by Kristy Woodson Harvey
-
THE CHILDREN OF EVE: A Charlie Parker Novel, by John Connolly
-
THE DARK MAESTRO by Brendan Slocumb
-
A DEAD DRAW by Robert Dugoni
-
THE DOORMAN by Chris Pavone
-
THE EMPEROR OF GLADNESS by Ocean Vuong
-
FDR DRIVE by James Comey
-
FEVER BEACH by Carl Hiaasen
-
THE GIRLS OF GOOD FORTUNE by Kristina McMorris
-
GOING HOME IN THE DARK by Dean Koontz
-
HIDDEN NATURE by Nora Roberts
-
THE LAST FERRY OUT by Andrea Bartz
-
THE LOVE HATERS by Katherine Center
-
THE MAN MADE OF SMOKE by Alex North
-
THE MANOR OF DREAMS by Christina Li
-
MANSION BEACH by Meg Mitchell Moore
-
MARBLE HALL MURDERS by Anthony Horowitz
-
MARGUERITE BY THE LAKE by Mary Dixie Carter
-
THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB by Martha Hall Kelly
-
MICHAEL WITHOUT APOLOGY by Catherine Ryan Hyde
-
THE MISSING HALF by Ashley Flowers, with Alex Kiester
-
MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman
-
MY NAME IS EMILIA DEL VALLE by Isabel Allende
-
THE NAMES by Florence Knapp
-
NEVER FLINCH by Stephen King
-
NIGHTSHADE by Michael Connelly
-
RETURN TO SENDER: A Longmire Mystery, by Craig Johnson
-
RUN FOR THE HILLS by Kevin Wilson
-
SOUTH OF NOWHERE: A Colter Shaw Novel, by Jeffery Deaver
-
SPEAK TO ME OF HOME by Jeanine Cummins
-
THE TENANT by Freida McFadden
-
WE LIVE HERE NOW by Sarah Pinborough
-
WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE by Mary Alice Monroe
-
WHISTLE by Linwood Barclay
-
None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, May 9th at noon ET.
Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What
You've Read --- 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 April 25th to May 9th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman and MY NAME IS EMILIA DEL VALLE by Isabel Allende.
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.
|
