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May in the tri-state area has been such a washout when it comes to the weather. I am hoping June gets the memo that it is supposed to be sunny and warm! Yes, I did head to the garden center again last weekend (flowers and plants are a bit of an addiction for me), and Karyn came and planted for us yesterday. The peonies still are popping, but the rain also means that they are dropping petals on the ground. Drat. We have a brilliant yellow peony flower this year that looks stunning for a while when cut, but then, as if on command, all of the petals drop in quick sequence.
Last weekend, I read ATMOSPHERE: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid. It is brilliant, and I think it is my favorite book of hers. I need to find our telescope and spend some time looking at the stars this summer. It is out on Tuesday and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection.
On Wednesday night, Tom, Francesca and I are going to see Taylor at an event hosted by Symphony Space in New York City. We will be joined by my friend, Annmarie, who is a great Bookreporter --- and much appreciated --- cheerleader since she remembers to bring our bookmarks that I always forget to share. Please let me know if you will be attending. I jumped on these tickets quickly, and I think we are in the second row. Some people brag about their Taylor Swift or Beyoncé tickets. For us, it’s Taylor Jenkins Reid!
While you're waiting for Tuesday's release of ATMOSPHERE, be sure to check out this Q&A with Taylor from the New York Times Book Review. And here's another fun piece from the Times where an editor at the Book Review tells you everything you need to know about Taylor.
Right now, I am reading JILL IS NOT HAPPY by Kaira Rouda, which releases on June 10th. Her thriller, BEST DAY EVER, was a huge favorite of mine. I still remember meeting Kaira at BookExpo back in 2017 and talking to her about it. Her latest has the same edgy vibe, and I am looking forward to interviewing her soon.
THE LISTENERS by Maggie Stiefvater, which will be in stores on Tuesday, is up next. This is Maggie's first book for adults after writing YA her entire career. Years ago, when we were at the Greenbrier Hotel in West Virginia, we took a tour and saw the bunker room that was intended to act as a relocation center for all 535 members of Congress in the event of a nuclear attack in Washington, DC. For decades, the hotel also served as an internment facility for diplomats during World War II and a military hospital, and was involved in other government-related activities during that time.
Why share these nuggets? Maggie’s book is set in January 1942 at the Avallon Hotel & Spa, which is a luxury hotel in West Virginia. Here, “the family heir makes a secret deal with the State Department to fill the hotel with captured Axis diplomats, and June [who runs the hotel] must persuade her staff --- many of whom have sons and husbands heading to the front lines --- to offer luxury to Nazis. With a smile.” See why I find this one interesting?
I am listening to WHAT KIND OF PARADISE by Janelle Brown, which also comes out on Tuesday. (Yes, you can say I am not reading much in advance these days!) The book opens in Montana in the mid-‘90s, where Jane is living off the grid with her father. He homeschools her in literature and philosophy instead of sending her to school. Details of her past, like what happened to her mom, are sketchy to her. In these early hours of listening, a lot also needs to be uncovered for the reader. Jane’s world is perfect for audio listening. Readers can hear her as she unpacks what is happening in her world.
We have two new “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews to share with you in this newsletter.
First up is Chris Pavone. His latest thriller, THE DOORMAN, will be a Bets On selection and is being called a modern-day BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES, which is spot-on. Chris talks about the book’s setting, the Bohemia, which drew inspiration from the apartment building where he now lives. He had long conversations with Johnny, one of the building’s doormen, and shares what their friendship brought to the story.
The novel takes place over the course of just one day, focusing on the doorman and a couple of the building’s personnel, as well as the occupants of two apartments in the Bohemia. Chris has a number of book ideas that he is noodling at any one time, but he explains how this one spoke to him to be written, and how he pivoted along the way. He also muses about New York City today, and how much has changed from when he was growing up in Brooklyn.
Click here to listen to the podcast. Unfortunately, the video did not upload in its entirety, but we plan to have the full video up on our YouTube channel by Monday, and we will include the link in next week's newsletter. We also will share my Bets On commentary next week.
I also had a terrific conversation with Janet Skeslien Charles, who discusses THE PARISIAN CHAPTER, an audio original novel with a multi-cast recording (Pauline Chalamet and 10 other voice actors perform). The book is about a young woman from Montana who lands a job in the American Library in Paris, where she discovers the power of storytelling and writes her own Parisian chapter.
Janet talks about the structure of the story, which provides listeners with a wonderful audio experience, and how she wrote to have the script work for an audiobook. She also praises the narrators who introduce each character, making this a brilliant gateway audio for those who have never listened in the past. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
On Wednesday night, Beatriz Williams joined us for May’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group program to discuss HUSBANDS & LOVERS, a Bets On pick that is now available in paperback. She shares her inspiration for the novel, as well as her research. Spoilers are included here as we assume that everyone who attended the event has read the book.
Beatriz also previews her next novel, UNDER THE STARS, which releases on July 29th (readers may recognize the setting and some of the characters), and she teases the manuscript that she is finishing for her 2026 book. And yes, she talks about her writing relationship with Lauren Willig and Karen White. Click here to watch the video or here to listen to the podcast.
We are thrilled to announce that Fiona Davis will be June’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group guest. The event will be held on Tuesday, June 24th at 8pm ET, and you can sign up here for it. We will talk about her novel, THE STOLEN QUEEN, a New York Times bestseller and a Bets On selection. The book transports readers from New York City’s most glamorous party to the labyrinth streets of Cairo and back.
There will be a two-part Q&A session after I talk to Fiona.
For the first part, those who are asking a question on camera will be featured. This includes spending time with Fiona backstage in our virtual green room before the show starts. If you would like to ask your question "live on screen" this way, please email me with the subject line "Fiona" by noon ET on June 24th. Be sure to include your name, city and state, as well as your question. If you do not want to appear on camera but still would like to ask a question, please note that you want to be off camera, and share your question --- adding your name, city and state.
Then we will take questions from other members of the audience.
Featuring the beloved Holly Gibney and a dynamic new cast of characters, Stephen King’s latest novel, NEVER FLINCH, has intertwining storylines --- one about a killer on a diabolical revenge mission and another about a vigilante targeting a feminist celebrity speaker.
Ray Palen has our review and says, “[Holly] gets involved in two separate cases that will converge in the cleverest of ways to create a finale that will have readers gripping their chairs in fear and delight…. Despite the book’s title, I found myself flinching several times at the well-placed plot twists and suspenseful turns the narrative takes. It is further confirmation that Stephen King is the “king” of fiction, and he is never better than when he is scaring us with supernatural or human monsters.”
Martha Hall Kelly’s new novel, THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB, is inspired by true events. It revolves around two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II who find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women.
According to Rebecca Munro in her review, “In Kelly’s deft hands and lyrical cadence, a decades-old mystery unfolds, and readers will delight in uncovering the connections between past and present as Mari learns the truth about her history. Pair that with plenty of military intrigue, a forbidden romance, and --- I really can’t say it enough --- a book club subplot, and you have the makings of a perfect book club or summer beach read.... This is the kind of book that you finish and then start reading again, just to witness the intricate plotting and fall in love with the characters all over again. Good luck putting it down!”
My book group is reading this one for June! A few of us met Martha a couple of years ago at an event that took place at the Bellamy-Ferriday House & Garden, which makes this selection even more personal for us.
Word of Mouth Contest Reminder
THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB is one of our current Word of Mouth prizes; the other is the aforementioned ATMOSPHERE by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read by Friday, June 6th at noon ET, and you’ll be in the running to win both these titles.
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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GOING HOME IN THE DARK: When hometown horrors come back to haunt, friendship is salvation in a novel about childhood fears and buried secrets from the master of suspense, Dean Koontz.
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WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE: Mary Alice Monroe’s latest book is the first of two epic and triumphant novels celebrating one intrepid woman's life across multiple generations in the American South.
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RUN FOR THE HILLS: An unexpected road trip across America brings a family together in Kevin Wilson’s raucous and moving new novel, which is infused with deadpan wit, zany hijinks and enormous heart.
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A DEAD DRAW: A killer fueled by revenge. A detective haunted by the past. They are headed for a high-stakes showdown in Robert Dugoni’s bone-chilling new thriller featuring Detective Tracy Crosswhite.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
HARLEM RHAPSODY by Victoria Christopher Murray is my latest Bets On pick. Click here for my commentary. If you missed my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Victoria, be sure to watch the video or listen to the podcast.
Summer Reading Contest Update
In this week’s Summer Reading contests, we gave away BEACH HOUSE RULES by Kristy Woodson Harvey and THE GUEST COTTAGE: A Firefly Summer Novel by Lori Foster, the latter of which is our current Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight title.
Next week’s prize will be THE GHOSTWRITER. In Julie Clark’s latest thriller, which will be a Bets On selection, a ghostwriter is hired to write the last book for her horror novelist father: a memoir about the brutal murder of both his siblings in the summer of 1975. The contest will be up at noon ET on the day of the book's release, Tuesday, June 3rd.
Fans of “Breaking Bad” and “Narcos” Will Want to Read MAYA BLUE
Our current Nonfiction Author Spotlight title is Brenda Coffee’s MAYA BLUE: A Memoir of Survival, which we reviewed last week.
Lee Woodruff says that the book “reads like a Netflix series. Brenda Coffee’s compelling memoir reminds us of the importance of seizing our power.” And according to Laura Munson, “This riveting memoir reads like a thriller. Beautifully written with courageous self-reflection, Brenda Coffee’s harrowing story of survival took my breath away.”
We look forward to interviewing Brenda soon about this action-packed, surprising and inspirational true story.
Remember to Vote in Our Poll
Our poll continues to ask about the publication year of the book that you’re currently reading. Was it this year, last year, or earlier than that? Click here to let us know.
On Thursday, June 5th at 7pm ET, Mary Ann Naples will host the first-ever Buzz Books Editors & Authors Nonfiction Panel, a free virtual event sponsored by Publishers Lunch and the American Booksellers Association.
Four breakout authors will chat with their editors about their upcoming books: Char Adams (BLACK-OWNED: The Revolutionary Life of the Black Bookstore), Angela Buchdahl (HEART OF A STRANGER: An Unlikely Rabbi's Story of Faith, Identity, and Belonging), Dr. Gerta Keller (THE LAST EXTINCTION: The Real Science Behind the Death of the Dinosaurs), and Christine Kuehn (FAMILY OF SPIES: A World War II Story of Nazi Espionage, Betrayal, and the Secret History Behind Pearl Harbor).
You can register for the event by clicking here. Also, be sure to download Buzz Books 2025: Fall/Winter, the 27th edition of Publishers Lunch’s celebrated sampler series. This collection offers readers an exclusive preview of some of the season’s most anticipated releases, curated to showcase both established voices and emerging talents across fiction, debut fiction, nonfiction and young adult categories.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Candice wrote, “I want to thank everyone involved for the wonderful books I received in the recent Mother’s Day contest. What a treat! I’ve been following Bookreporter for many years and always start off my Saturday morning with the column and some coffee. It’s such a great way to find new books. I have never been disappointed by a Bets On selection. I have included a photo of my books in my favorite reading spot. I feel like I should title it 'Do Not Disturb Until Labor Day.' And as you can see, I share Carol’s favorite color. Thank you again!” Enjoy, and I love that you are sporting turquoise in the photo!
Kay wrote about winning MASTERING THE ART OF FRENCH MURDER by Colleen Cambridge in a recent ReadingGroupGuides.com contest: “Thank you! Thank you! I was looking forward to reading this series that was talked about on the monthly 'Bookaccino Live' event and had put it on hold at our local library. Now, I have my own copy and can pass it on to my Francophile friends who I meet with each Friday for book discussions in French. I really enjoy your monthly presentation of books coming out. Thank you so much.” Kathy also commented on winning this book: “So excited! Thank you!”
Mary Anne wrote, “I am sorry this note is so late. I am so very pleased to be a winner in the Word of Mouth contest. I look forward to trying a new author (Clare Leslie Hall, BROKEN COUNTRY) and enjoying a long-time favorite (Patti Callahan Henry, THE STORY SHE LEFT BEHIND). After my daughter and I read them, I will donate them to the small village library in Maine where we vacation. And BROKEN COUNTRY is my daughter's book club selection this month! I look forward to the newsletter every week. I always find titles I would never encounter on my own. And it's fun to hear about New Jersey, where I lived for 30+ years. Thank you for all you do for us readers.”
“The Better Sister” on Prime Video: Last night, I watched the first few episodes of this series, which is based on the book by Alafair Burke. The setup is great, and I look forward to seeing where this heads.
Lester Holt signed off as the anchor of “NBC Nightly News” tonight. I loved the tribute that they ran for him at the end. I still remember watching Tom Brokaw sign off when he left. It was running on a jumbotron in Times Square, and as I was driving home, I pulled over to watch.
Tomorrow is yoga and more garden shopping; I am working my way down a list for the latter. Sunday will be a fun day as Husband Tom and I head to Long Island for the wedding of the daughter of Melanie, our Word of Mouth editor. I have not seen Melanie in years, so I am looking forward to this. It was so lovely of her to invite me!
Next week is going to be very busy. Along with the Taylor Jenkins Reid event, we will be at the US Book Show all day on Tuesday hearing insight into what is going on in the industry. We are looking forward to seeing publisher friends. Days like this are hectic, but they are such fun.
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: NEVER FLINCH by Stephen King
NEVER FLINCH by Stephen King (Psychological Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Jessie Mueller
When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to “kill thirteen innocents and one guilty” in “an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man,” Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are 14 citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend, Holly Gibney, for help. Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women’s rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-state lecture tour. Someone who vehemently opposes Kate’s message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events. At first, no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate’s bodyguard. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB
by Martha Hall Kelly
THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB by Martha Hall Kelly (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Mary Elizabeth Kelly, Mia Hutchinson-Shaw, Imani Jade Powers and EJ Lavery
In 2016, 34-year-old Mari Starwood travels to Martha’s Vineyard with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Deveraux. Mari isn’t sure what to expect when she finally makes it to the reclusive artist’s stunning waterfront property, but she is shocked to find out that her relationship to the island runs deeper than she ever thought possible. In 1942, the Smith sisters are faced with the impossible task of holding their family farm together during WWII as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard and their brother ships out to fight on the front lines. In an attempt at normalcy, the girls start a book club that soon grows in both number and influence. But their lives are upended when a mysterious man washes up on the shore, and they find themselves questioning who they can truly trust in these turbulent times. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- 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:
GOING HOME IN THE DARK by Dean Koontz
GOING HOME IN THE DARK by Dean Koontz (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by BJ Harrison
As kids, outcasts Rebecca, Bobby, Spencer and Ernie were inseparable friends in the idyllic town of Maple Grove. Three left to pursue lofty dreams --- and achieved them. Only Ernie never left. When he falls into a coma, his three amigos feel an urgent need to return home. After two decades, not a lot has changed in Maple Grove, especially Ernie’s obnoxious, scary mother. But they begin to remember a hulking, murderous figure and weirdness piled on mystery that they were made to forget. As Ernie sinks deeper into darkness, something strange awaits any friend who tries to save him. For Rebecca, Bobby and Spencer, time is running out to remember the terrors of the past in a perfect town where nothing is what it seems. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
HARLEM RHAPSODY by Victoria Christopher Murray
HARLEM RHAPSODY by Victoria Christopher Murray (Historical Fiction)
I confess that I knew little about the Harlem Renaissance before reading HARLEM RHAPSODY by Victoria Christopher Murray. I listened to the audiobook, which is narrated by Robin Miles. Each time I tuned into it, I found myself ensconced in the time period.
Victoria includes wonderful details not just about the writing that happened at The Crisis, the NAACP’s literary magazine, but also about the music, fashion and social scene that filled the times. The novel is set in 1920s Harlem, during the days of Prohibition, as well as enlightenment in the Black community. When I talked to Victoria about the book, she was quick to note that these strides for Black people had happened just 50 years after the end of slavery.
- 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 watch our "Bookreporter Talks To" interview with Victoria Christopher Murray.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.
Nonfiction Author Spotlight:
MAYA BLUE by Brenda Coffee
MAYA BLUE: A Memoir of Survival by Brenda Coffee (Memoir)
At 21, Brenda Coffee surrendered herself to her marriage and became a woman who would do almost anything her charismatic and powerful older husband, Philip Ray, wanted. Regardless of whether it was dangerous, adventurous, sexual or illegal, she wanted to be the one woman he couldn’t live without.
Brenda and Philip’s life together was a fairy tale until it wasn’t. Until Philip, the founder of two high-profile, groundbreaking public companies, began making real cocaine in their basement and became addicted. Until the Big Six tobacco companies threatened their lives for creating the first smokeless cigarette --- Brenda coined the terms vape and vaping --- and brutal Guatemalan military commandos forced her into the jungle at gunpoint.
A suspenseful, fast-paced memoir that reads like a thriller, MAYA BLUE will strike a chord with those who have lost their voice or had trouble finding their power. It will resonate with those who live with an addict or have grieved the loss of a spouse. But above all, it is an inspiring reminder that as long as you never surrender your voice and always keep your wits about you, you can survive almost anything.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read Brenda Coffee's bio.
- Visit Brenda Coffee's website and her popular Brenda's Blog.
- Connect with Brenda Coffee on Facebook and Instagram.
Click here to read more in our Nonfiction Author Spotlight.
Don't miss our interview with Brenda Coffee in the weeks to come.
Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight:
THE GUEST COTTAGE by Lori Foster
THE GUEST COTTAGE: A Firefly Summer Novel by Lori Foster (Fiction)
Marlow Heddings is starting over. She has carried the outrage of her husband Dylan’s affair with a younger woman --- and the expectations of his family’s powerful Chicago holdings company --- long enough. Now, after another devastating twist of fate, she is unapologetically moving on.
Arriving in tiny Bramble, Kentucky, Marlow revels in her freedom, swapping her executive suits for sundresses...and scouting places to open her dream boutique. Best of all is her new residence, an adorable cottage with gorgeous lake views --- and a breathtaking landlord, former Marine Cort Easton. Soon they’re sharing dockside morning coffee and nighttime firefly gazing. Marlow’s new life feels like a dream.
Then Pixie Nolan arrives on her doorstep. With a shocking secret.
To Marlow’s astonishment, Dylan’s “other woman” is a desperate girl of 19, destitute, exhausted and disowned by her family. Defying her manipulative in-laws’ demands, and surprising even herself, Marlow vows to lay down roots in Bramble and help Pixie get on her feet. Then they’ll part ways. But empathy has a way of forging bonds. As Marlow grows close to the hard-working, devoted young woman, she becomes something of a big sister to Pixie.
Now, with each sunrise, Marlow awakens to the life she was truly meant to live, one filled with deepening connections, supportive friendship...and even a second chance at love.
- Click here to read Lori Foster's bio.
- Click here to visit Lori Foster's website.
- Connect with Lori Foster on Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.
Click here to read more in our Women's Fiction Author Spotlight.
Don't miss our review of the book in next week's newsletter,
followed by Carol's "Bookreporter Talks To" interview
with Lori Foster in the June 13th newsletter.
Featured Review: WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE
by Mary Alice Monroe
WHERE THE RIVERS MERGE by Mary Alice Monroe (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jenna Lamia and Cassandra Campbell
1908: The Lowcountry of South Carolina is at the cusp of change. Mayfield, the grand estate held for generations by the Rivers family, is the treasured home of young Eliza. A free spirit, she refuses to be confined by societal norms. But the Great War, coastal storms and family turmoil bring unexpected challenges to Eliza, putting her on a collision course with the patriarchal traditions of a bygone era. 1988: At 88, Eliza is the scion of the Rivers/DeLancey family. She has fought a lifetime to save her beloved Mayfield and is too independent and committed to quietly retire and leave the fate of the estate to her greedy son. She must make decisions that will assure the future of the land and her family --- or watch them both be split apart. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: RUN FOR THE HILLS by Kevin Wilson
RUN FOR THE HILLS by Kevin Wilson (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Marin Ireland
Ever since her dad left them 20 years ago, it’s been just Madeline Hill and her mom on their farm in Coalfield, Tennessee. While it’s a bit lonely and a less exciting life than what she imagined for herself, it’s mostly okay. Then one day, Reuben Hill pulls up in a PT Cruiser and informs Madeline that he believes she’s his half-sister. Reuben, who was left behind by their dad 30 years ago, has hired a detective to track down their father and a string of other half-siblings. And he wants Madeline to leave her home and join him for the craziest kind of road trip imaginable to find them all. As Madeline and Reuben --- and eventually the others --- share stories of their father, who behaved so differently in each life he created, they begin to question what he was looking for with every new incarnation. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: A DEAD DRAW by Robert Dugoni
A DEAD DRAW by Robert Dugoni (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Sutton-Smith
Detective Tracy Crosswhite isn’t one to lose her cool. Until her interrogation of the taunting and malicious Erik Schmidt, a suspect in two cold case killings. Schmidt also has unnerving ties to the monster who murdered Tracy’s sister, stirring memories of the crime that shaped Tracy’s life. After a critical mistake during a shooting exercise, Tracy breaks. Haunted by nightmares and flashbacks, Tracy heads to her hometown of Cedar Grove to refocus. But her sleepless nights are only beginning. A legal glitch has allowed Schmidt to go free. And Tracy has every reason to fear that he has followed her. Forced into a twisted game of cat and mouse, Tracy must draw on all her training, wits and strength to defeat a master criminal before he takes away everyone she loves. Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
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 next contest will be up on Tuesday, June 3rd at noon ET. The prize book will be THE GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark, an upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On selection about a ghostwriter who is hired to write the last book for her horror novelist father: a memoir about the brutal murder of both his siblings in the summer of 1975.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
What’s New This Month on ReadingGroupGuides.com
We currently are featuring the following guides on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
Please note that these titles, for which we already had the guides when they appeared in hardcover, are now available in paperback:
Click here to visit ReadingGroupGuides.com.
AUDITION by Katie Kitamura (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Traci Kato-Kiriyama
Two people meet for lunch in a Manhattan restaurant. She’s an accomplished actress in rehearsals for an upcoming premiere. He’s attractive, troubling and young --- young enough to be her son. Who is he to her, and who is she to him? In AUDITION, two competing narratives unspool, rewriting our understanding of the roles we play every day --- partner, parent, creator, muse --- and the truths every performance masks, especially from those who think they know us most intimately. Reviewed by Roberta O'Hara.
IT’S A LOVE STORY by Annabel Monaghan (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Hillary Huber
Jane Jackson spent her adolescence as "Poor Janey Jakes," the punch line on America's fifth-favorite sitcom. Now she’s trying to be taken seriously as a Hollywood studio executive. Desperate to get her first project greenlit and riled up by pompous cinematographer and one-time crush Dan Finnegan, she claimed that she could get mega popstar Jack Quinlan to write a song for the movie. Jack may have been her first kiss --- and greatest source of shame --- but she hasn’t spoken to him in 20 years. Now Jane must turn to the last man she’d ever want to owe: Dan Finnegan. Because Jack is playing a festival in Dan’s hometown, and Dan has an in. A week in close quarters with Dan as she faces down her past is Jane's idea of hell, but he just might surprise her. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THINGS IN NATURE MERELY GROW by Yiyun Li (Memoir/Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Suzanne Toren
“There is no good way to say this,” Yiyun Li writes at the beginning of this book. “There is no good way to state these facts, which must be acknowledged. My husband and I had two children and lost them both: Vincent in 2017, at sixteen, James in 2024, at nineteen. Both chose suicide, and both died not far from home.” There is no good way to say this --- because words fall short. It takes only an instant for death to become fact, “a single point in a timeline.” Living now on this single point, Li turns to thinking and reasoning and searching for words that might hold a place for James. Li does what she can: “doing the things that work,” including not just writing but gardening, reading Camus and Wittgenstein, learning the piano, and living thinkingly alongside death. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
TAKING MIDWAY: Naval Warfare, Secret Codes, and the Battle that Turned the Tide of World War II by Martin Dugard (History)
Audiobook available, read by Samuel Roukin
1942. Everywhere around the world, the Allies are losing the war. Nowhere is this felt more completely than in the Pacific, where Japanese sea and ground forces claim victory after victory. Meanwhile, in Honolulu, a brilliant young naval officer is determined to break Japan's top secret codes. Lt. Commander Joseph Rochefort is inches away from cracking the code by April but is startled to learn that the Japanese are planning yet another major invasion somewhere in the Pacific. What ensues is the cat-and-mouse adventure that will become the epic fight known as the Battle of Midway. The dramatic battle will involve strategy, luck, heartbreak --- and will change the course of World War II. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.
WE LIVE HERE NOW by Sarah Pinborough (Gothic Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available, read by Helen Baxendale and Jamie Glover
After an accident that nearly kills her, Emily and her husband, Freddie, move from London to a beautiful Dartmoor country house called Larkin Lodge. The house is gorgeous and striking, but something about it feels deeply wrong to Emily. Old boards creak at night, fires go out, and books fall from the shelves. But these things happen only when Emily is alone. Her postsepsis condition can cause hallucinatory side effects, which means she can’t fully trust her own senses. Although Freddie doesn’t notice anything odd, Emily starts to believe that the house is being haunted by someone who was murdered in it. As bizarre events pile up and her marriage starts to crumble, Emily becomes obsessed with discovering the truth about Larkin Lodge. But if the house has secrets, so do Emily and Freddie. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
AUTOCORRECT: Stories written by Etgar Keret, translated by Jessica Cohen and Sondra Silverston (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available; read by Jessica Cohen, Sondra Silverston, Steven Jay Cohen, Matt Godfrey, Gilli Messer, Max Meyers, Sacha Chambers and Jennifer Rubins
Etgar Keret is the world’s most famous living Israeli writer. His work explores life’s smallest, most unremarkable interactions in ways that are profound and unusual. The characters populating his fiction live in a world of ever-advancing technology, but it is always degraded by the baseness of human passions and brutality. A character’s partner is a reality show contestant from a parallel dimension. Another finds that the asteroid they paid to have named after their wife is scheduled to collide with earth. An elderly widow convinces a popular AI program to commit suicide. These stories speak to our current moment in time: the uncertainty and fragility --- full of misunderstandings and miscommunications --- while looking for reasons and the strength to find hope. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
SKIPPER: Why Baseball Managers Matter and Always Will by Scott Miller (Sports)
Audiobook available, read by Bob Souer
SKIPPER takes on an ambitious Moneyball-esque premise: a deep dive into the ongoing struggle for control that often takes place behind the scenes between Major League Baseball managers and the ownership groups, and now, their data analysts. In a culture still attempting to come to terms with the Digital Age, there’s a bigger story behind the evolution of authority of managing inside the major leagues. Packed with baseball history, interviews with dozens of MLB's current stars and veterans, and an exclusive, inside look at the day-to-day life of LA Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, SKIPPER is a fascinating look into the highs, the lows and the inner workings of the changing world of professional baseball. Reviewed by Ron Kaplan (www.RonKaplansBaseballBookshelf.com).
MAKING A KILLING: A DI Fawley Thriller by Cara Hunter (Mystery/Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Emma Cunniffe, Lee Ingleby, David Blair and Alexandra Boulton
When Nick Vincent, the producer of the true-crime show “Infamous,” hears about an explosive new angle on a high-profile case --- the 2016 murder of an eight-year-old girl in Oxford --- he leaps at the chance to send a researcher to verify the claims. Two months later, a dog walker discovers a woman’s body, bound and buried in a shallow grave in the woods. Forensic evidence links the corpse to the disappearance of that same child. DCI Adam Fawley, the original investigating officer, is called in to run the enquiry. He arrested the child’s mother for murder, which he now knows she didn’t commit. The investigation raises more questions than answers. What connects the two crimes? Where has the dead girl been all these years? How did she manage to disappear? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
AWAKE IN THE FLOATING CITY by Susanna Kwan (Dystopian Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Catherine Ho
Bo knows she should go. Years of rain have drowned the city, and almost everyone else has fled. Her mother was carried away in a storm surge, and Bo has been alone ever since. She is stalled: an artist unable to make art, a daughter unable to give up the hope that her mother may still be alive. Half-heartedly, she allows her cousin to plan for her escape --- but as the departure day approaches, she finds a note slipped under her door from Mia, an elderly woman who lives in her building and wants to hire Bo to be her caregiver. Suddenly, Bo has a reason to stay. Mia can be prickly, but they forge a connection deeper than any Bo has had with a client. Then Mia’s health turns, and Bo determines to honor their disappearing world and this woman who has brought her back to it. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
DISAPPOINT ME by Nicola Dinan (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Martin Sarreal and Mei Mei MacLeod
Thirty years old with a lifetime of dysphoria and irritating exes rattling around in her head, Max is plagued by a deep dissatisfaction. Shouldn't these be the best years of her life? Why doesn't it feel that way? After taking a spill down the stairs at a New Year’s Eve party, she decides to make some changes. First: a stab at good old-fashioned heteronormativity. Max thinks she’s found the answer in Vincent. While his corporate colleagues, trad friends and Chinese parents never pictured their son dating a trans woman, he cares for Max in a way she’d always dismissed as a foolish fantasy. But he is also carrying baggage of his own. When the fallout of a decades-old entanglement resurfaces, Max must decide what forgiveness really means. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
Next Week's Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on June 2nd and 3rd
Below are some notable titles releasing on June 2nd and 3rd 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 June 2nd, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
June 2nd
THE FIRST GENTLEMAN by Bill Clinton and James Patterson (Political Thriller)
The President of the United States is up for reelection. Her husband is on trial for murder. Is the First Gentleman a killer? A pair of brilliant investigative journalists set out to answer that burning question about the NFL star-turned-political spouse.
June 3rd
ATMOSPHERE: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Fiction)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO and DAISY JONES & THE SIX comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s space shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.
BADLANDS: A Nora Kelly Novel by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Thriller)
#1 New York Times bestselling authors Preston & Child return with a thrilling tale in which archaeologist Nora Kelly and FBI Agent Corrie Swanson, while investigating bizarre deaths in the desert, awaken an ancient evil more terrifying than anything they’ve faced before.
BUCKLEY: The Life and the Revolution That Changed America by Sam Tanenhaus (Biography)
Ten years before his death in 2008, William F. Buckley, Jr. chose prize-winning biographer Sam Tanenhaus to tell the full, uncensored story of his life and times. Thus began a deep investigation into the vast and often hidden universe of Bill Buckley and the modern conservative revolution.
DON'T FORGET ME, LITTLE BESSIE by James Lee Burke (Historical Thriller)
Bestselling author James Lee Burke tells his most thrilling and insightful story yet through the eyes of 14-year-old Bessie Holland. DON'T FORGET ME, LITTLE BESSIE is an epic story of a remarkable young girl who fights against potentially overwhelming forces.
THE EXPAT AFFAIR by Kimberly Belle (Thriller)
An American expat's startling discovery plunges her into the glamorous but deadly world of Amsterdam’s diamond industry.
A FAMILY MATTER by Claire Lynch (Fiction)
A young wife following her heart. A husband with the law on his side. Their daughter, caught in the middle. Forty years later, a family secret changes everything in Claire Lynch's debut novel.
THE GHOSTWRITER by Julie Clark (Psychological Thriller)
From the instant New York Times bestselling author of THE LAST FLIGHT and THE LIES I TELL comes a dazzling new thriller about a ghostwriter who is hired to write the last book for her horror novelist father: a memoir about the brutal murder of both his siblings in the summer of 1975.
HOW TO LOSE YOUR MOTHER: A Daughter's Memoir by Molly Jong-Fast (Memoir)
From political writer and podcaster Molly Jong-Fast comes a ferociously honest and disarmingly funny memoir about her elusive mother’s encroaching dementia and a reckoning with her complicated childhood.
JUST BEACHY by Wendy Wax (Fiction)
A former actress in need of a reset reunites with her grandmother, her first crush, and the ladies of Ten Beach Road in this escapist novel from USA Today bestselling author Wendy Wax.
THE LISTENERS by Maggie Stiefvater (Historical Fiction)
#1 New York Times bestselling novelist Maggie Stiefvater dazzles in this mesmerizing portrait of an irresistible heroine, an unlikely romance, and a hotel --- and a world --- in peril.
NOTES ON INFINITY by Austin Taylor (Fiction)
This singular, extraordinary debut is about Zoe and Jack, Harvard students who find themselves propelled into the intoxicating biotech startup world when they announce they’ve discovered the cure for aging.
PARK AVENUE by Renée Ahdieh (Fiction)
This highly anticipated adult debut novel follows young lawyer Jia Song through a high-profile case filled with family drama, deception and thrilling romance as she works towards her Fifth Avenue dreams.
THE PHOENIX PENCIL COMPANY by Allison King (Fiction)
In this dazzling debut novel, a hidden and nearly forgotten magic --- of Reforging pencils, bringing the memories they contain back to life --- holds the power to transform a young woman’s relationship with her grandmother and to mend long-lost connections across time and space.
THE RIVER'S DAUGHTER: A Memoir by Bridget Crocker (Memoir)
THE RIVER'S DAUGHTER is a vivid and propulsive memoir about finding courage and meaning in a life outdoors by a world-class whitewater rafting guide.
STUART WOODS' FINDERS KEEPERS: A Stone Barrington Novel by Brett Battles (Thriller/Adventure)
In this latest thrilling adventure in the #1 New York Times bestselling series, Stone Barrington is caught in the lethal crossfire between a dear friend and a secret enemy from his past.
WHAT KIND OF PARADISE by Janelle Brown (Mystery/Thriller)
A teenage girl breaks free from her father’s world of isolation to discover that her whole life is a lie in this propulsive new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of PRETTY THINGS and WATCH ME DISAPPEAR.
Click here to see the latest “On Sale This Week” newsletter.
From left to right: Kaira Rouda, James Lee Burke, Kimberly Belle
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, June 2nd at 7:30pm ET: “Lisa Live”: Join Lisa Scottoline on Facebook every Monday night through July 7th as she reveals her inspirations behind her upcoming novel, THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA. And be sure to enter the Pre-Order Sweepstakes for the book. Lisa will be giving away an exciting prize each week during her “Lisa Live” events, leading up to the book's July 15th publication.
Monday, June 2nd at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: James Lee Burke will talk about his latest novel, DON'T FORGET ME, LITTLE BESSIE. This epic story of a remarkable young girl who fights against potentially overwhelming forces is a welcome return to his beloved Holland series.
Tuesday, June 3rd at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: This latest episode of Killer Author Club is to die for! Killer Kaira AND Killer Kimberly will be in the hot seat as they talk about their new novels: Kaira Rouda's JILL IS NOT HAPPY and Kimberly Belle's THE EXPAT AFFAIR. PLUS there will be surprise hosts!
Wednesday, June 4th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a Summer Kick-Off Beach Party featuring Mary Kay Andrews, Annabel Monaghan, Meg Mitchell Moore, Martha Hall Kelly, Wendy Francis, Amy Mason Doan and Brooke Lea Foster.
Thursday, June 5th at 7pm ET: Buzz Books Editors & Authors Nonfiction Panel: Mary Ann Naples will host the first-ever Buzz Books Editors & Authors Nonfiction Panel, a virtual event sponsored by Publishers Lunch and the American Booksellers Association. Four breakout authors will chat with their editors about their forthcoming titles.
"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 are our latest interviews:
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Janet Skeslien Charles (THE PARISIAN CHAPTER: An Audio Novel) Video | Podcast
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Chris Pavone (THE DOORMAN) Podcast
Other authors we've interviewed include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Julie Clark (THE GHOSTWRITER)
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Jeanine Cummins (SPEAK TO ME OF HOME)
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Lori Foster (THE GUEST COTTAGE: A Firefly Summer Novel)
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Kaira Rouda (JILL IS NOT HAPPY)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: The Publication Year of Your Current Read
When was the book that you’re currently reading published?
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This year
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Last year
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Earlier than 2024
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, June 6th 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 May 23rd to June 6th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of ATMOSPHERE: A Love Story by Taylor Jenkins Reid and THE MARTHA'S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB by Martha Hall Kelly.
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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