|
Never Miss a Contest or a Promotion!
Follow and Like Us on Social Media
Who has their books lined up for the snowstorm or whatever unusual weather pattern seems to be planned for across the country? The weather forecasters have been beyond excited about the pending storm. Even if you are not in the path of snow, there is talk about shockingly freezing temperatures. The images of the green iguanas falling off the trees in Florida said a lot this week!
On Thursday afternoon, there was an Outlook outage that was ill-timed as we were pulling together plans for this update. It took me a couple of hours to realize that no mail had come in for a while. I am sure that some messages went into the ether and never will make it my way!
I have enjoyed Sadeqa Johnson’s writing since her first book, YELLOW WIFE. Her second, THE HOUSE OF EVE, was just as good. But I feel she really hits it out of the park with KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN, which releases on February 10th and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection, as were her previous two novels.
In this latest book, Ethel Gathers is an American military wife in post-WWII Germany who creates a program to help mixed-race children get adopted. This historical fiction is based on the life of Mabel Grammer, whose “Brown Baby Plan" was to help these children find homes, often in the U.S. Ozzie Phillips is a Black soldier stationed in Germany who fathers a child with a local woman. The story then moves forward to 1965, where Sophia Clark, a teenager in Maryland, uncovers a secret about her life story.
I read the book last weekend and folded down many pages for my conversation with Sadeqa. We will share that interview next month. I have talked to her about each of her books, which has allowed me to discuss the evolution of her work. She is going to be at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ on Wednesday, February 11th, and I am planning to attend. If you are there, do say hi!
My latest “Bookreporter Talks To” interview is with Belle Burden. Her much-talked-about memoir, STRANGERS, details how her husband abruptly left their marriage during the early days of the pandemic. The book, which will be a Bets On pick and debuted at #1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction list this week, chronicles Belle's journey from shock and grief to rebuilding her life as a writer and single mother.
Belle started writing about her experience after her divorce was finalized in 2022, feeling “a burning need to write down what had happened.” She initially wrote a piece for the New York Times “Modern Love” column, which ran in June 2023. Following the article’s publication, Belle was contacted by editors who suggested turning it into a book. The trauma of her divorce reconnected her with her desire to write, which she had abandoned in college. She explains how the divorce affected her children and her approach to parenting through the crisis.
Belle admits that she handed over financial authority to her husband, despite her being a former corporate lawyer. She has advised her daughters to “never let go of their own financial authority.” Belle sees her memoir as reclaiming her narrative rather than letting others define her story. She connects her experience to broader patterns of women's silence and how it allows others to control their stories. For her, writing the book was an act of agency and authenticity.
Click here to watch the interview or here to listen to the podcast. We will feature my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.
We hosted our “Bookaccino Live” Winter Preview event on Wednesday evening. I presented 55 books that are either out now or soon to be released this winter that we think you will enjoy reading over the next few months. Included are fiction; historical fiction; thrillers and mysteries; and memoirs, biographies and other nonfiction.
Click here to watch the presentation and here to see a list of the titles that I talked about. Don’t miss our Spring Preview evening program on Wednesday, March 18th!
While I loved spending time with our readers on Wednesday evening, I had wanted to head down to Thunder Road Books in Spring Lake, NJ that night, where the store was hosting a book group discussing THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi. Annmarie Puleio, who has attended many programs with me, covered this one for us.
Thunder Road Books is an independent bookstore managed by Kate Czyzewski, a knowledgeable and dynamic bookseller who Annmarie and I have spent time with at many an event. (Pictured above are Kate, on the left, and Annmarie, each holding up a copy of THEO OF GOLDEN.) Kate knows books, and she knows her customers. Thunder Road hosts author book signings, author interviews both at the store and at a larger venue nearby, book launches, and on the third Wednesday of every month at 7pm there is Book Club.
As Annmarie noted, “Book Club consistently draws about 60+ people each month from as far as an hour’s drive away. And though it was freezing cold on Wednesday, and the streets of Spring Lake were deserted, about 65 women and a gentleman, ranging in age from 21 to 99, came out after hours to discuss THEO OF GOLDEN. No special book club discussion questions were needed. The readers jumped in to talk about plot, characters, style and pacing, and to share sections of the book that moved them. Some were in tears as they spoke about profound sections of the novel. Kate ensured that all who wanted to speak contributed. And at the end, there was a long line at the register to purchase next month’s book, MONA'S EYES by Thomas Schlesser.”
Thunder Road Books is a must-stop if only to meet Kate! Annmarie and I will be going to Anna Quindlen’s event for her upcoming book, MORE THAN ENOUGH, that Thunder Road is hosting on Saturday, February 28th at 4pm. Hope to see some of you there!
Reminder to Sign Up for Tuesday Evening's
“Bookaccino Live” Book Group Event
And speaking of THEO OF GOLDEN and Allen Levi, this is your last newsletter reminder to sign up for this month’s “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event, which will take place on Tuesday, January 27th at 8pm ET.
Allen will be talking about THEO OF GOLDEN, his New York Times bestselling debut novel that Simon & Schuster re-released last fall following its self-published release in 2023.
If you have a question for Allen, please email it to me using the subject line “Allen” by Tuesday at noon ET. Be sure to also include your name, city and state, and indicate if you’d like to be on camera during the event so you can ask Allen the question yourself, or if you’d prefer me to ask it for you. Those who appear on camera will be able to chat with Allen in our virtual green room before the program starts.
We have a record number of signups for this event, and we can’t wait to hear what Allen --- and YOU --- have to say about THEO OF GOLDEN.
We will be hosting next month's “Bookaccino Live” book preview afternoon event on Wednesday, February 11th at 2pm ET. The focus will be on books releasing between February 10th and March 3rd, as well as some titles from the first half of April, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up.
Alice Feeney’s latest book is a tangled web of deception, obsession and mystery that will keep you guessing until the last page. Prepare yourself for the ultimate mind-bending marriage thriller and step inside Spyglass --- if you dare --- to experience a story where nothing is as it seems in MY HUSBAND'S WIFE, which will be a Bets On selection.
Ray Palen has our review and says, “The only thing more impressive than the myriad plot twists in MY HUSBAND’S WIFE is how Feeney draws everything together in the end and puts a nice bow on it to boot. There is no way that I thought any sense could be made out of the far-reaching events that took place, but I was proven wrong. It’s everything that a great psychological thriller is supposed to be, and I remain in awe of Feeney for this tremendous achievement.”
Ray is spot on here! I will share my Bets On commentary in an upcoming newsletter.
Rachel Hawkins is back with a thrilling new gothic suspense, THE STORM. This national bestseller is about a Gulf Coast beach motel that has survived a century of hurricanes. It also has been the site of multiple mysterious deaths.
According to Rebecca Munro in her review, “Hawkins has long been heralded as the queen of gothic thrillers, but here she cranks this talent up to 10. She immerses readers not in a damp gothic castle, but in a damp, musty inn that has hidden more than its share of secrets.... As demolishing as a storm and as alluring as an ocean view, THE STORM is the thriller you’ve been waiting for. But be warned that nothing will prepare you for what’s inside.”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
Winter Reading Contest Update
We gave away ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI by Ashley Elston (which debuted at #2 on the New York Times Hardcover Fiction list) in this week’s Winter Reading contest. Our next contest will be up on Tuesday, January 27th at noon ET. The prize book will be ORDER OF ROYALS, the second installment in Jude Deveraux’s spellbinding Blue Swan series, which weaves an intricate tapestry of fantasy and intrigue on the enigmatic planet of Bellis.
Revisiting My “Bookreporter Talks To” Interview with Joseph Finder
Out in paperback this week is THE OLIGARCH’S DAUGHTER by Joseph Finder, a Bets On selection that marries the dynastic opulence of "Succession" with the tense and disorienting spycraft of "The Americans." I talked to Joe about the book last February when it released in hardcover. 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.
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
Let us know by Friday, February 6th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win IT’S NOT HER by Mary Kubica (on sale February 3rd) and VIGIL by George Saunders (on sale January 27th) in our latest Word of Mouth contest.
Two families vacationing at a secluded lake resort are at the center of a chilling crime and mysterious disappearance in IT’S NOT HER. George Saunders’ highly anticipated new novel takes place at the bedside of an oil company CEO in the twilight hours of his life as he is ferried from this world into the next.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
For our latest poll, we’ve listed 12 of my Bets On picks that recently came out or will be releasing in paperback soon. How many of these titles have you read or are you planning to read? Let us know here by Friday, February 6th at noon ET.
In our previous poll, we listed 35 titles that are being published this month for the first time and asked which of them, if any, you are looking forward to reading. Below are your top five picks, and you can see all the results here.
Also this week, the finalists for the 2025 National Book Critics Circle Awards were announced in six categories: Autobiography, Biography, Criticism, Fiction, Nonfiction and Poetry.
Among the nominees are MEMORIAL DAYS: A Memoir by Geraldine Brooks (Autobiography), LOVE, QUEENIE: Merle Oberon, Hollywood's First South Asian Star, by Mayukh Sen (Biography), THE ANTIDOTE by Karen Russell (Fiction), and NO MORE TEARS: The Dark Secrets of Johnson & Johnson, by Gardiner Harris (Nonfiction).
Other announcements included the Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award, the NBCC Service Award, the winner and finalists for the Nona Balakian Citation, the finalists for the John Leonard Prize for Best First Book, and the shortlist for the Gregg Barrios Book in Translation Prize. Click here for all the nominees.
The awards will be presented on March 26th at The New School in New York City, in a ceremony that will be open to the public and will be livestreamed on the NBCC’s YouTube channel.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
I heard from Cheryle, who was the Grand Prize winner in our Year-End “Bets On” Contest. You can see her pictured with the books above, and they already are finding a home on her bookshelves: “WOW, JUST WOW! This is a book lover's dream come true. My only problem now is finding room to store 42 books as I work my way through them. What a fantastic prize. I was shocked to see my name as I read the latest issue of the weekly newsletter. I look forward to getting my cup of coffee and relaxing to learn the latest news from you. It is such a pleasant way to spend time reading about the new releases and adding to my TBR list. With this prize, my local library will see a downturn in the circulation numbers as I read my prize books.
“Thank you to you and your staff for all the 'behind the scenes' work it takes to keep us readers informed. I cannot imagine how many hours are spent pulling things all together. I like the personal notes in each newsletter that add a glimpse into your normal life outside of Bookreporter. Continue to do what you do so flawlessly, and we will keep reading.”
Elizabeth wrote, “Here I am with my six books from the Bookreporter Year-End Contest. I’m a constant reader, but I have not read any of these books. Deciding where to start will be my next big decision. Thank you so much for choosing me.”
Luella wrote, “Thank you so much for the books I received from the End-of-the-Year Contest. They all sound great, and I look forward to reading them. I will pass them on and share with my family and book club, which is one and the same. Thanks!”
Christine wrote, “Here I am with my two Word of Mouth prizes. I already read THE AWARD, and it was very good. Going to dive into THE HEIR APPARENT next. Thank you so much!”
We got some nice notes after our “Bookaccino Live” Winter Preview event. Here are three of them.
Kathy wrote, “I can't tell you how much pleasure I get from your events. I'm handicapped by arthritis, quite elderly, and live in the snowbelt area of Ontario, Canada. Your events are the highlight of my month. I also read a lot! Thank you both for all your work.”
Lois wrote, ”Thank you for such a great talk tonight. I am already registered for the event next Tuesday with Allen Levi about THEO OF GOLDEN.”
Elizabeth wrote, “Thank you for all that you and your team do. Stay safe and warm!”
“Agatha Christie's Seven Dials” on Netflix: I loved Mia McKenna-Bruce, who plays Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent. I confess that I do not recall reading the book that this series is based on, but it was well done!
My massive Christmas reorganizing project is just about finished. I think Husband Tom is amused by the level of energy that I have put into this. I am determined to put all of the red and green tissue paper in ONE place lest I go out and buy it again like I did this year!
There will be football on Sunday. I loved that Indiana won the National Championship on Monday night. I would love for the Broncos to beat the Patriots, but with their first-string quarterback out with a broken bone in his foot (sustained in overtime last week), that will be very tricky. As for the Seahawks and the Rams, I do not have a favorite. I am just hoping for good games.
Cory turns 31 today, so there will be celebrating this weekend! It is “my week of cake” as Greg’s birthday is five days later. I feel like the holidays stretch right into January when we celebrate their birthdays. I still am 27; it’s a miracle.
Stay warm and dry this week, wherever you are!
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: MY HUSBAND’S WIFE by Alice Feeney
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title
MY HUSBAND'S WIFE by Alice Feeney (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Bel Powley, Henry Rowley and Richard Armitage
Eden Fox, an artist on the brink of her big break, sets off for a run before her first exhibition. When she returns to the home she recently moved into, Spyglass, an enchanting old house in Hope Falls, nothing is as it should be. Her key doesn’t fit. A woman, eerily similar to her, answers the door. And her husband insists that the stranger is his wife. One house. One husband. Two women. Someone is lying. Six months earlier, a reclusive Londoner called Birdy, reeling from a life-changing diagnosis, inherits Spyglass. This unexpected gift from a long-lost grandmother brings her to the pretty seaside village of Hope Falls. But then Birdy stumbles upon a shadowy London clinic that claims to be able to predict a person's date of death, including her own. Secrets start to unravel, and as the line between truth and lies blurs, Birdy feels compelled to right some old wrongs. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
MY HUSBAND'S WIFE will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's commentary in an upcoming newsletter.
Featured Review: THE STORM by Rachel Hawkins
THE STORM by Rachel Hawkins (Gothic Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Alex Knox, Cathi Colas, Dan Bittner, Jane Oppenheimer, Patti Murin, Petrea Burchard and Stephanie Németh-Parker
St. Medard’s Bay, Alabama, is famous for three things: the deadly hurricanes that regularly sweep into town; the Rosalie Inn, a century-old hotel that’s survived every one of those storms; and Lo Bailey, the local girl infamously accused of the murder of her lover, political scion Landon Fitzroy, during Hurricane Marie in 1984. When Geneva Corliss, the current owner of the Rosalie Inn, hears that a writer is coming to town to research the crime that put St. Medard’s Bay on the map, she’s less interested in solving a whodunit than in how a successful true-crime book might help the struggling inn’s bottom line. But August Fletcher is accompanied by none other than Lo Bailey herself. Lo says she’s returned to her hometown to clear her name once and for all. But the closer Geneva gets to both Lo and August, the more she wonders if Lo is actually back to settle old scores. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY by Dean Koontz
THE FRIEND OF THE FAMILY by Dean Koontz (Historical Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Rachel L. Jacobs
The human “oddities” in the Museum of the Strange are less wondrous than the gawking rubes had been promised. But Alida is something else. The real thing. Traveling Depression-era America from carnival midways to speakeasies, Alida is resigned to an exploited and lonely life on the road as the museum’s golden ticket. Until she’s rescued by two compassionate strangers. Franklin and Loretta Fairchild see in Alida a gifted and uncannily well-read girl in need of a loving touch and a family. With the openhearted couple and their three precociously imaginative children, Alida finds it. Yet despite everyone’s overwhelming generosity and acceptance, Alida knows she is still a very different kind of girl. Her dreams bear that out. They’re vivid, unsettling and threatening. Alida fears that they’re also warnings. And that it’s the Fairchilds who may need rescue from a bad, bad world. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: CRUX by Gabriel Tallent
CRUX by Gabriel Tallent (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Elaine Wang
Dan and Tamma are two teenagers in their last year of high school in the southern Mojave Desert. One is a gifted golden child, the other a mouthy burnout. Climbing boulders in trash-strewn parking lots during cold desert nights, they seal their unique bond and dream of a life of adventure. As the year progresses and adult reality looms, they are rocked by change and pulled apart by irreconcilable obligations. Differences of class, talent and prospects take on new importance; options dwindle, and their decisions grow ever more consequential and perilous. It feels inevitable, finally, that something must give. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- 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: EVELYN IN TRANSIT by David Guterson
EVELYN IN TRANSIT by David Guterson (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Alyssa Bresnahan
Radically open-minded, formidably strong, and unusually clear-eyed about herself and others, Evelyn Bednarz has always been a misfit. She's easily bored, unsuited to life at school, asks odd questions about faith and time, and sees through conventions that others take for granted. Seeking to be true to herself, she hitchhikes across the American West taking odd jobs. In distant Tibet, another life unfolds as remote from Evelyn’s as can be: the life of a boy named Tsering, raised as a Buddhist monk in the mountains of Tibet, who eventually becomes a high lama. And yet, their lives are strangely linked --- as Evelyn discovers when a trio of Buddhist lamas show up at her door to announce that her five-year-old son, Cliff, is the seventh reincarnation of the illustrious Norbu Rinpoche, recently deceased. The lamas’ visit sets off a family crisis and a media firestorm over Cliff’s future. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
ONE ALADDIN TWO LAMPS by Jeanette Winterson
ONE ALADDIN TWO LAMPS by Jeanette Winterson (Memoir/Literary Criticism)
Audiobook available, read by Jeanette Winterson and Dana Haqjoo
A woman is filibustering for her life. Every night she tells a story. Every morning, she lives one more day. ONE ALADDIN TWO LAMPS cracks open the legendary story of Shahrazad in ONE THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS to explore new and ancient questions. Who should we trust? Is love the most important thing in the world? Does it matter if you are honest? What makes us happy? In her guise as Aladdin --- the orphan who changes his world --- Jeanette Winterson asks us to reread what we think we know. To look again. Especially to look again at how fiction works in our lives, giving us the courage to change our own narratives and alter endings we wish to subvert. As a young working-class woman, with no obvious future beyond factory work or marriage, Winterson realizes through the power of books that she can read herself as fiction as well as a fact. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
NO ONE WOULD DO WHAT THE LAMBERTS HAVE DONE by Sophie Hannah
NO ONE WOULD DO WHAT THE LAMBERTS HAVE DONE by Sophie Hannah (Mystery)
Audiobook available; read by Gabrielle Glaister, Joe Thomas and Natalie Husdan
You think it will never happen to you. The doorbell. The policeman. The words that turn your world inside out: I'm afraid there's been an incident. For Sally Lambert, those words mean only one thing --- danger. Not just for her family, but for Champ, their loyal and beloved dog. A single accusation, a neighbor's grudge, and suddenly the Lamberts are trapped in a nightmare with no escape. Unless they make one. Most people would never run. Most people would never leave behind everything they know to protect an animal who can't defend himself. But for Sally, Champ is more than a dog --- he's one of her children. And most people aren't the Lamberts. No one has ever done this before. No one has ever gone this far. But the Lamberts have never been quite like any other family. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com's 11th Annual
Winter Reading Contests and Feature
Our Winter Reading contests have returned for an 11th year! On select days in January and February, we are hosting a series of 24-hour contests spotlighting a book releasing this winter and giving five lucky readers the chance to win it. 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, January 27th at noon ET. The prize book will be ORDER OF ROYALS, the second installment in Jude Deveraux’s spellbinding Blue Swan series, which weaves an intricate tapestry of fantasy and intrigue on the enigmatic planet of Bellis.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
TWELVE MONTHS: A Novel of the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher (Urban Fantasy)
Audiobook available, read by James Marsters
Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed to the ground, everything is different --- and it’s not just the current lack of electricity. In the battle, Harry lost people he cared about. And that's the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his level best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild. But it’s a heavy load, and he needs time. But time is one thing Harry doesn’t have. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and taking out innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires --- and Harry has been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal. Reviewed by Curtis Edmonds.
A BOX FULL OF DARKNESS by Simone St. James (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available; read by Anna Caputo, Saskia Maarleveld and Ari Fliakos
Strange things happen in Fell, New York. A mysterious drowning at the town’s roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For the Esmie siblings --- Violet, Vail and Dodie --- the final straw was the shocking disappearance of their little brother. It started as a normal game of hide-and-seek. The three closed their eyes and counted to 10 while Ben went to hide. But this time, they never found their brother. As their parents grew increasingly distant, Violet, Vail and Dodie were each haunted by visions and frightening events that made them leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people --- spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years. And now, after two decades running from their past, it’s time for a homecoming. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
FOOTBALL by Chuck Klosterman (Sports)
Audiobook available, read by Chuck Klosterman
Chuck Klosterman did not write this book to deepen your appreciation of football. He’s not trying to help you become that person at the party, or to teach you how to make better bets, or to validate any preexisting views you might have about the sport (positive or negative). Football does, in fact, do all of those things. But not in the way such things have been done in the past. Cultural theorists talk about hyperobjects --- phenomena that bulk so large that their true dimensions are hidden in plain sight. In 2023, 93 of the 100 most-watched programs on U.S. television were NFL football games. This is not an anomaly. This is how society is best understood. Football is not merely the country’s most popular sport; it is ingrained in almost everything that explains what America is, even for those who barely pay attention. Klosterman gets to the bottom of all of it. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
THE FUTURE SAINTS by Ashley Winstead (Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Ali Andre Ali and Brittany Pressley, with Vikas Adam and Tyla Collier
When record executive Theo meets the Future Saints, they’re bombing at a dive bar in their hometown. Since the tragic death of their manager, the band has been in a downward spiral. Theo has been dispatched to coax a new --- and successful --- album out of them, or else let them go. He is immediately struck by Hannah, the group’s impetuous lead singer, who replaces their California pop with gut-wrenching rock. When this new music goes viral, striking an unexpected chord with fans, Theo puts his career on the line to give the Saints one last shot at success with a new tour, new record and new start. But Hannah’s grief has larger consequences for the group, and her increasingly destructive antics become a distraction as she and her sister, Ginny --- her lifelong partner in crime --- undermine Theo at every turn. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
THE LIST OF SUSPICIOUS THINGS by Jennie Godfrey (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available; read by Joanne Froggatt, Mark Noble, Asif Khan, Gemma Whelan and Simon Harvey
It’s 1979 in Yorkshire, England, and 12-year-old Miv is panicking. Life has been complicated since her mom got sick, and now her dad is talking about wanting to move their family away from the town Miv has lived in her whole life --- because of the murders. Young women are dying, and no one knows who the culprit might be. But as far as Miv is concerned, leaving Yorkshire and her best friend, Sharon, simply isn't an option. Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all. So Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things on their street. But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighborhood, within their families --- and between each other --- than they ever thought possible. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
IS THIS A CRY FOR HELP? by Emily Austin (Fiction/Dark Humor)
Audiobook available, read by Natalie Naudus
Darcy’s life turned out better than she ever could have imagined. She is a librarian at the local branch, while her wife, Joy, runs a book binding service. Between the two of them, there is no more room on their shelves with their ample book collections, various knickknacks and bobbles, and dried bouquets. Rounding out their ideal life is two cats and a sun-soaked house by the lake. But when Darcy receives the news that her ex-boyfriend, Ben, has passed away, she spirals into a pit of guilt and regret, resulting in a mental breakdown and medical leave from the library. When she returns to work, she is met by unrest in her community and protests surrounding intellectual freedom, resulting in a call for book bans and a second look at the branch’s upcoming DEI programs. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
HOW TO COMMIT A POSTCOLONIAL MURDER by Nina McConigley (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Reena Dutt
Summer, 1986. The Creel sisters, Georgie Ayyar and Agatha Krishna, welcome their aunt, uncle and young cousin --- newly arrived from India --- into their house in rural Wyoming where they’ll all live together. Because this is what families do. That is, until the sisters decide that it’s time for their uncle to die. According to Georgie, the British are to blame. And to understand why, you need to hear her story. She details the violence hiding in their house and history, her once-unshakeable bond with Agatha Krishna, and her understanding of herself as an Indian-American in the heart of the West. Her account is, at every turn, cheeky, unflinching and infectiously inflected with the trappings of teendom, including the magazine quizzes that help her make sense of her life. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
ADVANCE BRITANNIA: The Epic Story of the Second World War, 1942-1945 by Alan Allport (History)
Audiobook available, read by Ric Jerrom
By 1942, Winston Churchill found himself facing a vastly different war than the one he’d inherited from Neville Chamberlain back in 1940. In the East, the Soviets were now a co-belligerent (if not exactly a firm ally). And the aid he’d so longed for from across the Atlantic had finally arrived, when Pearl Harbor pushed America to end its “dithering and buggering about.” But with Parliament and the public losing faith in him, Churchill had to manage a war that now stretched into the Pacific and Indian Oceans, threatening Britain’s colonies, all the while negotiating a new relationship with Roosevelt and Stalin --- two jostling, unpredictable comrades-in-arms fully prepared to carve up the world to their own satisfaction. In this sequel to his prizewinning BRITAIN AT BAY, Alan Allport completes his superlative history of Britain’s role in World War II. Reviewed by Philip Zozzaro.
CRUCIBLE by John Sayles (Historical Fiction)
Already the gateway for illegal Canadian liquor during Prohibition, the Motor City becomes a crucible for American class conflict during the Great Depression, with an army of laid-off Ford workers drifting into the ranks of the burgeoning union movement. To keep the hundreds of thousands still employed by Henry Ford in thrall, he recruits black laborers migrating from the deep South to serve as “strike insurance.” The Model T mogul also has bought a sizable chunk of Brazil's Amazonian rainforest, vowing to grow his own rubber for tires, but stubbornly refusing to include a botanist in his troop of would-be jungle tamers. As a series of biological plagues descend on the Fordlandia plantation, the racial melting pot he has created in Detroit begins to boil over, and not even the Sage of Dearborn can control the forces that have been unleashed. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
WHAT BOYS LEARN by Andromeda Romano-Lax (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Eva Kaminsky and Michael Crouch
Over one terrible weekend, two teenage girls are found dead in a wealthy Chicago suburb. As the community mourns, Abby Rosso, the girls’ high school counselor, begins to suspect that her son was secretly involved in their lives --- and possibly their deaths. Abby doesn’t want to believe Benjamin hurt anyone. But she’s seen the warning signs before. Two decades ago, her brother was imprisoned for a disturbing crime --- he was only a little older than Benjamin is now. And Abby has more troubling memories from her own adolescence that confirm what boys and men are capable of. As Abby searches for the truth about what happened to her students, she’s forced to face the question: Has she been making excuses for Benjamin for years? Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on January 27th
Below are some notable titles releasing on January 27th 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 January 26th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
DEAR DEBBIE by Freida McFadden (Psychological Thriller)
DEAR DEBBIE is a brand-new twisted thriller that will have you cheering “good for her!” from the #1 New York Times bestselling and global sensation Freida McFadden, author of THE HOUSEMAID.
THE FINAL SCORE by Don Winslow (Thriller)
#1 internationally bestselling author Don Winslow --- America’s King of Crime Fiction --- is back and better than ever in this intense, deeply felt, gripping collection of six all-new, never-before-published short novels.
HER COLD JUSTICE by Robert Dugoni (Legal Thriller)
To save a client accused of murder, defense attorney Keera Duggan must fight a complex web of corruption in a riveting novel of suspense by New York Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni.
MAKE IT OUT ALIVE: A Quinn & Costa Thriller by Allison Brennan (Mystery/Thriller)
Allison Brennan returns to her bestselling series with an edge-of-your-seat thriller that thrusts Detective Kara Quinn and FBI Agent Matt Costa into the crosshairs of a sadistic serial killer.
MISSING SAM by Thrity Umrigar (Domestic Thriller)
From the bestselling author of HONOR comes a tense and twisty story of a woman who goes missing on a morning run and her wife's determination to both find her and clear her own name.
PENDERGAST: The Beginning by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child (Thriller)
From the #1 New York Times bestselling duo Preston & Child comes the Agent Pendergast origin story --- a golden opportunity for longtime fans and newcomers to learn about Agent Pendergast’s strange and shocking first case.
VIGIL by George Saunders (Fiction)
This electric novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling, Booker Prize–winning author of LINCOLN IN THE BARDO takes place at the bedside of an oil company CEO in the twilight hours of his life as he is ferried from this world into the next.
Click here to see the latest “On Sale This Week” newsletter.
From left to right: Wendy Walker, Allen Levi, Paula McLain
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are three upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Monday, January 26th at 7pm ET: Murder By The Book: Wendy Walker will talk to Mystery & Thriller Maven’s Sara DiVello about her propulsive new book, BLADE, a chilling psychological thriller set in the cutthroat world of elite figure skating.
Tuesday, January 27th at 8pm ET: "Bookaccino Live" Book Group: Carol Fitzgerald will talk to Allen Levi about his debut novel, the New York Times bestseller THEO OF GOLDEN. Allen also will answer questions from guests who will be "on stage," as well as from other members of the audience.
Wednesday, January 28th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with Paula McLain about her latest novel, SKYLARK, a spellbinding and transportive look at a side of Paris known to very few --- the underground city that is a mirror reflection of the glories above.
"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:
-
Belle Burden (STRANGERS: A Memoir of Marriage) Video | Podcast
Other authors we've interviewed recently include:
Upcoming interviews include:
-
Ashley Elston (ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI)
-
Sadeqa Johnson (KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN)
-
Paula McLain (SKYLARK)
-
Wendy Walker (BLADE)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: Which of Carol’s
"Bets On" Selections Appeal to You the Most?
We have listed 12 of Carol’s Bookreporter.com Bets On picks that are now or soon to be in paperback. Which of these books have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
-
BEAUTIFUL UGLY by Alice Feeney
-
GOOD DIRT by Charmaine Wilkerson
-
HARLEM RHAPSODY by Victoria Christopher Murray
-
LIKE MOTHER, LIKE MOTHER by Susan Rieger
-
MORE OR LESS MADDY by Lisa Genova
-
THE NOTE by Alafair Burke
-
THE OLIGARCH’S DAUGHTER by Joseph Finder
-
ONE GOOD THING by Georgia Hunter
-
PRESUMED GUILTY by Scott Turow
-
SEEKING SHELTER: A Working Mother, Her Children, and a Story of Homelessness in America, by Jeff Hobbs
-
THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA by Lisa Scottoline
-
WHAT HAPPENED TO THE McCRAYS? by Tracey Lange
-
None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, February 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 January 23rd to February 6th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of IT'S NOT HER by Mary Kubica and VIGIL by George Saunders.
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.
|
