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Books as Presents Throughout the Year!
Over the last few weeks, we have been talking about giving books as gifts throughout the year. When I spoke at an in-person event recently, I suggested as an example that people who use the library to read books should consider giving books as presents, and there were a lot of nodding heads acknowledging this as a good idea. I am going to take this one step further. Buy the books you love and give them as gifts, and do not wait until the holidays at the end of the year to do this.
I am seeing that people who are invited to baby showers are being asked to bring a book instead of a card --- and to inscribe it with a message. Great idea! What about doing the same thing when asked to dinner, meeting up with friends for special occasions, or just because you thought of someone? Supporting the book business, and it is a business, comes down to books being bought. Last week at our “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event, Patrick Ryan mentioned that when he receives a galley (an advance reading edition of a book), he will buy a hardcover for a friend. So if you are not purchasing books for yourself because you want to downsize, or for any number of reasons, consider giving them to others instead.
Think about the many opportunities you have for book giving throughout the year. The book business is not an easy one, and any way that you can support it is so appreciated. Not sure what to buy? Give a gift card to a bookstore that you love!
We have been hearing a lot of buzz about YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke, and I see why. I picked it up last Sunday and loved it from page one.
Let me start my thoughts about this book by saying that I am amused by online influencers who create content for Instagram (and TikTok, though I am not on there), hawking how they cook, bake, decorate, make cocktails, clean, fold and whatever else comes into their imaginations. As a child, I remember pretending I had a cooking show as I made mix cakes, but we never filmed this and it was not shared. Now, it seems like there are tens of millions of content makers, and I am sure there is a kid out there with a cooking video series.
So when I find a book like YESTERYEAR --- where the protagonist is a trad wife influencer who lives on a farm with her family --- I am all in to see the messiness behind the scenes, which is certainly there. But this book takes the story a step further when the wife is transported back to 1855, where suddenly she is doing the laundry in cold water with lye soap, knowing all too well that a machine would make this task a lot easier.
I laughed aloud, cringed seeing what was ahead, and just really enjoyed it. It’s a unique mashup of a family saga, historical fiction and satire. It will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection. And it is being adapted into a film starring Anne Hathaway, who also will produce it.
Very high on my bucket list is a trip to Australia. For some reason, the idea of the land and the landscape there totally intrigues me.
I am listening to and enjoying M. L. Stedman's second novel, A FAR-FLUNG LIFE, a family saga set in the Australian Outback that is narrated by Lewis Fitz-Gerald. The MacBride family lives on a remote sheep station --- so remote that the children are sent away to be educated once they reach a certain age as there are no local schools. An accident in 1958 upends their lives, and from there the family has to dig deep to soldier on.
I read THE LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS in 2012 and loved it; it was a Bets On pick. I truly hope that it won't be another 14 years before we see another book from Stedman, who was raised in Western Australia and now lives in London. I would love to interview her, but her editor shared that she prefers to have her work stand for itself.
My husband Tom’s schedule often revolves around golf. In the summer, he tees off at 7am on many days so he can be back at his desk working at 10:30. His summer league won the Seniors State Championship last year. He lamented the snow this winter that kept his winter league from playing their regular weekly schedule; instead, I think they played four or five times.
Golf is often on television here most weekends during what seems like an endless season. Next weekend is the Masters, so we --- aka *I* --- will be making pimento cheese sandwiches (my contribution to this celebration of the game of golf).
But a novel about golf? Well, that would be one way to get the sport on my radar. (I finally came to understand tennis after reading Taylor Jenkins Reid’s CARRIE SOTO IS BACK.) I turned the newly released ALL CARRY by Gene Wojciechowski over to Tom as I know he has read books about golf before and could assess it better than me. He took this task very seriously. He disappeared to read for a couple of hours last night and then found me to share that he was really enjoying it.
Tom ended up reading until 2am this morning; it’s that good. He said that the characters are terrific, and there are strains of “Stick,” Tin Cup and Happy Gilmore, all of which he enjoyed. Also, one of the characters drives a 1974 BMW 3.0 CS. For years, Tom drove a 1976 3.0 CSi, so there is lots of bonding going on with the story. The way it’s looking, this will be a Bets On for him. And with how he is talking about the book, I am ready to read it too!
Remember my note above about buying books when you like them? Mark this one down for the golfer in your life. I can see Tom talking it up with the men on his golf team!
Join Us for Our April “Bookaccino Live”
Book Preview Event on Wednesday!
This is your last Weekly Update newsletter reminder to sign up for this month's “Bookaccino Live” book preview event, which will take place on Wednesday, April 8th at 2pm ET.
The focus will be on titles releasing between April 7th and May 5th, along with a few from June, that we think will appeal to you. Click here to sign up. Those who join us live will be asked to answer a survey about the books from the presentation that they are most interested in reading and will be eligible to win a prize.
Tana French’s newly released thriller, THE KEEPER, concludes her trilogy featuring retired Chicago detective Cal Hooper as he tries to find his way in the small Irish village of Ardnakelty. Though he arrived seeking peace and quiet, trouble seems to be constantly brewing in the moody hamlet --- trouble that inevitably arrives at his door.
Katherine B. Weissman has our review and calls THE KEEPER “a richly layered book, intricately plotted, with gripping action scenes as well as tension-laden verbal encounters in which Lena and Cal fence with Tommy and his minions. But there is also a poignant, philosophical quality, as Cal unmasks the ugly truth beneath the rural beauty and small-town charm, the ‘straitjacket’ imposed by Tommy and his pals.”
THE NEWS FROM DUBLIN is a collection of nine short stories from Colm Tóibín, many of which have never been published before. Set across Ireland, Spain and America, these tales are about the complexities of family, longing, loss and love.
According to Harvey Freedenberg in his review, “Tóibín's stories are old-fashioned in all the best senses of that word: well-formed, quiet, and calling for patience and attention to discover and appreciate their effects. While those qualities may not have universal appeal in our age of quick takes and instant gratification, they're the ones that make Tóibín's work so memorable.”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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SON OF NOBODY: Yann Martel, author of the international bestseller LIFE OF PI, has penned a brilliant retelling of the Trojan War from the perspective of two commoners: an ancient soldier and a modern scholar.
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NORTH OF ORDINARY: Sue Aikens is the breakout star of National Geographic's long-running TV show, “Life Below Zero,” and lives in the raw, untamed wilds of Alaska. Here, she tells an unforgettable story of abandonment, grit and fierce independence.
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RUINS: Lily Brooks-Dalton’s second novel, following the “GMA” Book Club pick THE LIGHT PIRATE, is about an ambitious archaeologist in pursuit of a rare artifact from an ancient civilization that would change not only her life but potentially society at large.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
My latest Bets On selection is IT GIRL, a national bestseller from Allison Pataki that we reviewed last month. Click here for my commentary. We will feature my “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Allison in next week's newsletter.
Spring Reading Contest Update
THE UNRAVELING OF JULIA by Lisa Scottoline was this week’s Spring Reading prize book. Next week, we are giving away Fredrik Backman's #1 New York Times bestseller, MY FRIENDS, which is about four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a complete stranger’s life 25 years later. The contest will be up on Tuesday, April 7th at noon ET.
Books on Screen Offerings for April
We’ve updated our Books on Screen feature for this month. April’s roundup includes the series premieres of “The Testaments” on Hulu and Disney+; “Margo's Got Money Troubles” on Apple TV, and “The House of the Spirits” on Prime Video; the season finale of Apple TV's “The Last Thing He Told Me”; the season premiere of “Sullivan's Crossing” on The CW; the conclusion of Apple TV's “Imperfect Women”; the films Hamlet and The Stranger; the continuation of “Outlander” on STARZ and “Will Trent” on ABC; and the DVD/Blu-ray releases of Cold Storage and Die My Love.
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
Let us know by Friday, April 17th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win LAST ONE OUT by Jane Harper and the aforementioned YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke in our latest Word of Mouth contest.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
For our latest poll, we’ve listed 35 fiction titles releasing this month. We’re asking you which, if any, you’re looking forward to reading. Click here to let us know.
Our previous poll asked if you ever give your book collection at home a "spring cleaning." 55% of you give away some of your books to friends or family, 54% donate some to libraries, 27% donate some to thrift stores, and 26% reorganize your books according to whether or not you have read them. Click here for all the results.
The shortlist for the 2026 International Booker Prize has been announced. Click here to see the finalists. The selection celebrates the best works of long-form fiction or collections of short stories translated into English and published in the UK and/or Ireland between May 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026. The winner will be named during a ceremony at London’s Tate Modern on Tuesday, May 19th.
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail:
Brandi, a winner of our Spring Reading contest for THE FORTUNE TELLERS OF RUE DARU, wrote, “Thank you so much! I look forward to reading the book!”
Terry wrote, “Thank you from all of us at The Jasper Book Club for the dozen copies of LAST CALL AT THE SAVOY! Everyone is thrilled, and they are already delving into their copies. I thought you'd like to know that the one extra copy we had was donated to Lake Agassiz Regional Library, a seven-county, 22-facility public library system serving northwest Minnesota. This week we celebrated the opening of our newly constructed library and system headquarters in Moorhead, Minnesota, and I donated the extra copy of Brisa Carleton's book to add to the collection there.
“While attending the celebration, a chance conversation with our historical society's education director led to the discovery that he had just obtained THE SAVOY COCKTAIL BOOK by Harry Craddock for a program he's doing. He's promised to loan it to us as we prepare for our discussion with Brisa. There will be fancy drinks! We're in touch with Brisa and hope to have our date confirmed soon. You can expect pictures, and, of course, we'll toast all the work you do to promote books and authors.”
Suzanne wrote, “I was very excited to see book mail in my mailbox! And it was a book on my TBR list: ONCE AND AGAIN by Rebecca Serle. I have read and enjoyed all of her books and am looking forward to this new one. Thank you so much for all you do. You are my go-to source for reading. I love your newsletter on Saturday morning with my coffee, and I have a file on my iPad where I save each and every one.”
Nancy wrote, “I received an email from Francesca earlier this week letting me know that I had won IT GIRL and SERVED HIM RIGHT in the Word of Mouth contest. Thank you so much!”
Good Book News to Share: Atria Books recently announced that its edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller THEO OF GOLDEN by Allen Levi has sold more than a million copies in all formats in the US. On our side, we note that our “Bookaccino Live” Book Group event with Allen has been watched or listened to over 29,000 times.
And last week, Atria announced that the aforementioned MY FRIENDS by Fredrik Backman also has sold one million copies in all formats in the US!
Oh, and if you are wondering which of our interviews has the most views and listens, it’s my conversation with Bonnie Garmus about LESSONS IN CHEMISTRY. That has 42,539 views and listens! I am looking forward to interviewing Bonnie again when her new book, PECK & PECK, comes out on October 13th.
Here are some notes from readers requesting bookmarks after seeing last week’s newsletter. If you want us to send you some to share, please email me your address and the quantity you would like. We see you as ambassadors sharing our love of books.
Francie wrote, “I'm a librarian, and I would love a handful of bookmarks for our patrons. Your site is outstanding. I get dizzy trying to keep up!”
Kathy wrote, “I have been reading your weekly email for many years and want to share it with members of my book club and other friends. I would appreciate 12 bookmarks.”
Muriel wrote, “I would love 12 bookmarks for my book club. They know I get most of my ideas for books for our discussions from you. I talk about Bookreporter and you a lot.”
Patrick Ryan saw a post-event question from Steven, one of the attendees at the aforementioned “Bookaccino Live” Book Group program, asking what is on his nightstand. Here’s Patrick's answer, with brief comments about each book.
“What's on my nightstand:
BALDWIN: A Love Story, by Nicholas Boggs. It's a fantastic biography, and it just won a National Book Critics Circle Award.
JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart. I actually just finished this one the other day. It comes out in May, and it's achingly good.
THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY by Elizabeth Strout. I'm aching to start it! It also comes out in May, and I have the galley. But before I get to start it, I will first finish...
SHOULD THE WATERS TAKE US by Stephanie Soileau. It's another galley --- a debut novel releasing in July that I'm really enjoying.”
Literary Tourism to the Gunnison Valley of Colorado: My husband and I met in Crested Butte, Colorado, so I loved seeing this piece about how readers are flocking to the Gunnison Valley to see the area where GO AS A RIVER is set. We had the pleasure of catching up with the book's author, Shelley Read, when we were there a couple of years ago. It is a spectacular part of the country. We will go back!
Bookseller News: While we typically keep our editorial on this site strictly for readers, I read this trade piece by Jane Friedman about what two booksellers --- Alan DuBose from Books-A-Million and Roxanne Coady from RJ Julia Booksellers, the latter of whom I have long admired --- would like from publishers, distributors and supply chain partners in the current marketplace, as well as what they want to see. I thought you might find it interesting to read as well!
I have 2 ½ more inches to knit on this blanket that I started years ago and have picked up and put down to work on other projects. I love how it came together, and I am very much looking forward to finishing it. Then I am moving on to a blanket for a baby girl who arrived this week.
March was a lamb on entry and a lamb on exit --- no calls for the lions. Now it’s time to focus on making Easter dinner. We are going to have Jesse Kornbluth’s famous Holiday Ham, and I am planning to make a cake shaped like an egg. We made this years ago, and I finally found the oval-shaped pan that I used to make it. I am thinking we may do Easter basket cupcakes as well! The best part about storing photos online is that I can search holidays from years past to look at what we did. I also keep menus from previous years in a notebook, so I will be referring to those as well. And I am plotting some books to give to children in the spirit of the Easter season!
Saturday will be the NCAA Men's Final Four, and Monday will be the National Championship. Around our house, we are cheering for UConn! What an ending they had to last week's game in the Elite Eight. Bunnies and basketball --- it’s that kind of a weekend.
Happy Easter and Happy Passover to all who are celebrating!
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: THE KEEPER by Tana French
THE KEEPER by Tana French (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Roger Clark
On a cold night in the remote Irish village of Ardnakelty, a girl goes missing. Sweet, loving Rachel Holohan was about to be engaged to the son of the local big shot. Instead, she’s dead in the river. In a close-knit small town, a death like this isn’t simple. It comes wrapped in generations-old grudges and power struggles, and it splits the townland in two. Retired Chicago detective Cal Hooper has friends here now, and he owes them loyalty. But his fiancée, Lena, wants nothing to do with Ardnakelty’s tangles. As the feud becomes more vicious, their settled peace starts to crack apart. And when they uncover a scheme that casts a new light on Rachel’s death and threatens the whole village, they find themselves in the firing line. Reviewed by Katherine B. Weissman.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review:
THE NEWS FROM DUBLIN by Colm Tóibín
THE NEWS FROM DUBLIN: Stories by Colm Tóibín (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available, read by Derbhle Crotty and Darragh Shannon
Colm Tóibín is a master of short fiction as well as the novel, able to summon an extraordinary intensity of emotion in a brief tale. These 11 stories transport readers across continents and eras. In “The Journey to Galway,” a mother who has learned of the death of her son, a fighter pilot in World War I, travels to Galway to inform his wife and their three now fatherless children. “Sleep,” originally published in The New Yorker, explores the rift between two lovers as one of them cannot reckon with his grief and fear after the death of his brother. Death, again, is a central character in the title story, “The News from Dublin,” as Maurice Webster travels to Dublin to try to save his younger brother who is dying of tuberculosis. Maurice must petition the health minister for access to a new experimental drug, and this is the only hope. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: IT GIRL by Allison Pataki
IT GIRL by Allison Pataki (Historical Fiction)
Allison Pataki has a way of making the past seem like it was a whole lot of fun in her latest novel, IT GIRL. Who’s the girl? She’s Evelyn Talbot, who’s based on Evelyn Nesbit, the real-life Gibson Girl who landed in New York City from Pittsburgh during the days leading up to and through the Gilded Age. The scene it sets --- with Mrs. Astor holding court in the city, traveling abroad on ocean lines --- is all the rage, and the New York theater is a place where you see shows not just once but rather multiple times.
Evelyn first moves to Philadelphia with her mother and younger brother. Her mother gets a job at the department store Wanamaker’s. Seeing a chance for Evelyn to bring in even more money for the family, she makes sure that Evelyn works there too, even though she is only 13. So while others her age are becoming book smart, Evelyn is honing her street-smart skills.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.
Don't miss Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with
Allison Pataki in next week's newsletter.
Featured Review: SON OF NOBODY by Yann Martel
SON OF NOBODY by Yann Martel (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Robin Wilcock and Aaron Willis
The Psoad is an Ancient Greek epic in free verse that follows a goatherd’s son, Psoas of Midea, who leaves his wife and family to fight with the Greeks at Troy. This commoner’s story was lost to time --- until Harlow Donne, a Canadian academic who has left his own wife and daughter behind to study at Oxford, discovers its relics nearly 30 centuries later. As sole translator and interpreter of The Psoad, Harlow dedicates the poem and its footnotes to his daughter, Helen. Under his gaze, a personal message to his beloved child appears in the ancient text, like a palimpsest. Despite the thousands of years and hundreds of miles that separate Psoas and Harlow, a thread hasn’t frayed: the universal song of homesickness and regret, of love, ambition and grief. Reviewed by Sam Johnson.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: NORTH OF ORDINARY
by Sue Aikens with Michael Vlessides
NORTH OF ORDINARY: How One Woman Left It All Behind for Wilderness and Wonder in Alaska's Frozen Frontier by Sue Aikens with Michael Vlessides (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Sue Aikens
In the raw, untamed wilds of Alaska, only a rare few figure out how to survive. Sue Aikens, the breakout star of National Geographic's long-running TV show “Life Below Zero,” is one of them. At her remote outpost 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle, she weathers more than just brutal winters and hungry bears. Sue battles isolation, injury and the ghosts of a turbulent past, forging a life in a place most people wouldn't last a day. Left to fend for herself as a child, Sue's fight to survive began long before she ever set foot in Alaska. In NORTH OF ORDINARY, she tells the unforgettable story of abandonment, grit and fierce independence --- from navigating deadly storms and surviving a horrific bear attack to learning how to build a life, a home and a sense of self where most would see only desolation. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: RUINS by Lily Brooks-Dalton
RUINS by Lily Brooks-Dalton (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Carlotta Brentan
Professor Ember Agni is a rising star in archaeology, trying to balance an unfulfilling career in academia and a crumbling marriage, all while pursuing her true passion: unearthing a lost empire that no one else believes existed. Just as she’s about to give up on the ambitious expedition she spent a decade trying to fund, a message arrives from overseas. A former student claims to have found something extraordinary --- an artifact that hints at the forgotten world lying beneath history’s tidy surface. With vindication finally within reach, Ember risks everything for the sake of discovery and undertakes an odyssey that will either make her name or ruin her. But as she journeys deep into an untouched wilderness, in dogged pursuit of a dead civilization, she collides with the wreckage of her own life. 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.
Bookreporter.com’s 15th Annual
Spring Reading Contests and Feature
Spring is in the air! We’ve caught the fever --- and it’s being fueled by some wonderful new and upcoming releases.
Bookreporter.com's 15th annual Spring Reading Contests and Feature spotlights many of these picks, which we know people will be talking about over the next few months. We are hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through mid-April. You will need to check the site to see the featured book and enter to win.
We also are sending a special newsletter to announce each title, which you can sign up for here.
Our next contest will be up on Tuesday, April 7th at noon ET. The prize book will be Fredrik Backman's most recent #1 New York Times bestseller, MY FRIENDS, 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.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
April’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 April's offerings, please click here.
Film Releases
The Stranger
Release Date: Friday, April 3rd (limited release in theaters)
Based on: THE STRANGER by Albert Camus
Hamlet
Release Date: Friday, April 10th (limited release in theaters)
Based on: HAMLET by William Shakespeare
Series Premieres
"The Testaments"
Release Dates: Wednesdays on Hulu and Disney+; Series Premiere on April 8th (the first three episodes will be available)
Based on: THE TESTAMENTS by Margaret Atwood
"Margo's Got Money Troubles" (8-episode limited series)
Release Dates: Wednesdays on Apple TV; Series Premiere on April 15th (the first three episodes will be available)
Based on: MARGO'S GOT MONEY TROUBLES by Rufi Thorpe
"The House of the Spirits" (8-episode limited series)
Release Dates: Wednesdays on Prime Video; Series Premiere on April 29th (the first three episodes will be available)
Based on: THE HOUSE OF THE SPIRITS by Isabel Allende
Season Premiere
"Sullivan's Crossing"
Air Dates: Mondays at 8pm ET/PT on The CW; Season 4 Premiere on April 20th
Based on: The Sullivan's Crossing series by Robyn Carr
Series Finale
"Imperfect Women" (8-episode limited series)
Release Dates: Wednesdays on Apple TV; Series Finale on April 29th
Based on: IMPERFECT WOMEN by Araminta Hall
Season Finales
"Dark Winds"
Air Dates: Sundays at 9pm ET/PT on AMC; Season 4 Finale on April 5th
Based on: The Leaphorn & Chee series by Tony Hillerman
"The Last Thing He Told Me"
Release Dates: Fridays on Apple TV; Season 2 Finale on April 10th
Based on: THE LAST THING HE TOLD ME by Laura Dave
Ongoing Series
"Will Trent"
Air Dates: Tuesdays at 8pm ET/PT on ABC; Season 4 continues
Based on: The Will Trent series by Karin Slaughter
"Outlander"
Air Dates: Fridays at 8pm ET/PT on STARZ; Season 8 continues
Based on: GO TELL THE BEES THAT I AM GONE by Diana Gabaldon
On DVD
Cold Storage
DVD/Blu-ray Release Date: Friday, April 24th
Based on: COLD STORAGE by David Koepp
Click here to see our Books on Screen feature for April.
THE HIRED MAN by Sandra Dallas (Historical Fiction/Western)
Audiobook available, read by Jesse Vilinsky
1937. It’s been seven years since the dust storms started in Colorado. High school student Martha Helen Kessler and her family are luckier than most; they still eke out a living from the land. Even so, evidence of the Dust Bowl’s grim impact on families is everywhere. When Martha Helen’s compassionate mother insists they take in Otis Hobbs, a handsome drifter who saves a local boy from a vicious storm, she quickly discovers a darker side to their rural community. Suspicion, jealousy and prejudice grip their neighbors --- and emotions reach a frenzy after Martha Helen’s best friend, Frankie, disappears and is then found murdered. Ultimately, Martha Helen is forced to make sense of her conflicting feelings and loyalties in order to help find retribution and to reconcile the difference between the law and justice. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
WOLF WORM by T. Kingfisher (Gothic Horror/Supernatural Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Mary Robinette Kowal
Sonia Wilson is a talented scientific illustrator, but she is only able to follow her dream because of her father’s reputation as a renowned scientist. Such is the lot in life for a woman in science in 1899. And after his death, she is left without work, prospects or hope. So when the reclusive Dr. Halder offers her a position illustrating his vast collection of insects, Sonia jumps at the chance to move to his North Carolina manor house. Once there, though, she encounters dark happenings in the Carolina woods, and even darker questions come to light. What happened to her predecessor? Why are animals acting so strangely, and what is behind the peculiar local whispers about “blood thieves”? With the aid of the housekeeper and a local healer, Sonia discovers that Halder’s entomological studies have taken him down a twisted road. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
TWO KINDS OF STRANGER by Steve Cavanagh (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Adam Sims
Social media influencer Elly Parker had the perfect life --- that is until she discovered her husband had been having an affair with her best friend. But as hurt, betrayed and unmoored as Elly is, she has made it her mission to help others in need. When Elly meets a man on the steps to the subway platform, crutches in one hand and a yellow suitcase by his feet, she can’t help but feel sorry for him. This small act of kindness sets off a chain of events more terrifying than anything she ever could imagine. To survive, Elly will need to convince the world that what happened to her was real. She needs a lawyer who can bend the rules to find the truth. Eddie Flynn and his team must find the stranger with the yellow suitcase. But little do they know this cunning killer is a master manipulator and is always one step ahead. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
NOTHING TASTES AS GOOD by Luke Dumas (Psychological Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available; read by Graham Halstead, Ali Andre Ali, Raquel Beattie, Cassandra Campbell and James Anderson Foster
At over 300 pounds, retail worker Emmett Truesdale carries the weight of his childhood trauma and millennial ennui around his waist and in his soul. Desperate for help, he enrolls in a clinical trial for a new weight loss product called Obexity. The treatment is as horrifying as the results are miraculous. As Emmett sheds pounds at superhuman speed, every part of his life improves overnight. Unfortunately, Obexity comes with some killer side effects, including lost stretches of time and overwhelming cravings. Worse, people who were cruel to him have started disappearing. When the police warn of a cannibalistic killer on the loose, he fears that Obexity is turning him into a monster. But how can he give it up now that people are finally starting to treat him like he’s human? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
GHOSTS OF FOURTH STREET: My Family, a Death, and the Hills of Duluth by Laurie Hertzel (Memoir)
Every family has its stories and secrets. Laurie Hertzel’s family had more than its share. At an early age, Laurie --- the seventh of the 10 Hertzel children --- took on the challenge of sorting them out. Not old enough to be one of the Big Kids, yet too old to be with the Three Little Kids, she spent most of her time alone, reading, wandering and observing her family as they moved around her in their house in Duluth. Though her parents were not warm, there were moments of closeness in those years, but everything shattered after the sudden death of Laurie’s oldest sibling, 18-year-old Bobby, when she was just nine years old. Moving back and forth in time, Laurie reflects on Bobby’s death and what happens to a family’s story when no one can talk about a tragedy and its toll. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
LET NOTHING ASTONISH YOU by Lauren Opper (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Lauren Opper
Lieutenant Carl Sarabia, a newly retired homicide detective, moves with his wife, Greta, from Houston, Texas, to Glamis, Connecticut, to be closer to their daughter, Sarah, and her family. The idyllic river town is upended when Merlin Glenmore is found murdered on April Fools' Day, midway through his seance-themed birthday party at the place he despised the most, The Glenmore-Pace Castle, a gothic mansion built by his great-great grandfather, and now a museum run by his sister, Jade. Merlin is notorious in Glamis for his abrupt second marriage to a much younger woman only a month after his first wife's tragic death. There is no shortage of suspects present at the party who wanted Merlin dead. Only two of the guests do not have alibis --- and one of them is Carl's son-in-law. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on April 6th and 7th
Below are some notable titles releasing on April 6th and 7th 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 April 6th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
April 6th
THANK YOU, TEACHERS: True Stories from America’s Teachers, Our Last Line of Defense and Our First Line of Hope by James Patterson and Matt Eversmann, with Chris Mooney (Biography/Education)
The son of a teacher himself, the world's #1 bestselling author James Patterson blows the lid off what is happening in today's schools with firsthand stories, highlighting the heroic efforts of the world's teachers.
April 7th
AFTER OSCAR: The Legacy of a Scandal by Merlin Holland (Biography/Literary Criticism)
Written by Oscar Wilde’s only grandson, AFTER OSCAR recounts the gripping story of Wilde and his enduring legacy.
AMERICAN FANTASY by Emma Straub (Fiction)
From the New York Times bestselling author of THIS TIME TOMORROW comes an irresistible story about what happens when your teenage fantasy comes true after you’re already an adult.
A CRUISE TO DIE FOR by Heather Graham (Romantic Suspense)
Special agents face deadly, uncharted waters in this tense romantic thriller from New York Times bestselling author Heather Graham.
THE ENDING WRITES ITSELF by Evelyn Clarke (Mystery)
This riveting novel takes readers to a secluded Scottish island, where six struggling authors are given the chance to complete the unfinished manuscript of a legendary writer in just 72 hours. In exchange, they are offered a life-changing sum of money and the chance to turn their floundering careers around.
THE GIRLS TRIP by Ally Condie (Mystery/Thriller)
Three friends decide to disappear from their lives for a few days while on a trip to a national park --- only to have one of them vanish.
INTIMATE AUDREY: An Authorized Biography by Sean Hepburn Ferrer and Wendy Holden (Biography)
INTIMATE AUDREY is the deeply personal official biography of Audrey Hepburn, full of untold stories, exclusive photos and cherished memories from her son, Sean Hepburn Ferrer, one of the people who knew her best.
INTO THE BLUE: A Love Story by Emma Brodie (Romance)
This epic, decades-spanning love story blazes through the worlds of acting and comedy and charts a connection unlike any other.
LONDON FALLING: A Mysterious Death in a Gilded City and a Family's Search for Truth by Patrick Radden Keefe (True Crime)
LONDON FALLING is the spellbinding account of a family devastated by the sudden death of their 19-year-old son, only to discover that he had created a secret life that drew him into the dangerous criminal underworld that lies beneath London’s glittering surface.
MEET ME IN ITALY by Brenda Novak (Fiction)
A sun-soaked trip to the Amalfi Coast promises a fresh start --- and reveals secrets never imagined --- in New York Times bestselling author Brenda Novak’s tender new novel.
REVENGE PREY: A Lucas Davenport Novel by John Sandford (Mystery/Thriller)
Lucas Davenport must track down a ruthless Russian hit team in this latest thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author John Sandford.
RORY: The Heartache and Triumph of Golf's Most Human Superstar by Alan Shipnuck (Sports/Biography)
RORY is the definitive biography of the most important, popular and confounding player of the post-Tiger era, masterfully chronicled by Alan Shipnuck, the bestselling author of PHIL and LIV AND LET DIE.
YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke (Psychological Thriller)
A traditional American woman --- a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers --- suddenly awakens cold, filthy and terrified in the brutal reality of 1855.
Click here to see the latest “On Sale This Week” newsletter.
Pictured above: V. E. Schwab and Cat Clarke, writing as Evelyn Clarke
Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events
Here are two upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.
Wednesday, April 8th at 2pm ET: “Bookaccino Live” Book Preview Afternoon Event: Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between April 7th and May 5th, along with a few from June, that we would like to get on your radar. Included will be fiction; historical fiction; thrillers and mysteries; and memoirs, biographies and other nonfiction.
Wednesday, April 8th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with V. E. Schwab and Cat Clarke, whose novel, THE ENDING WRITES ITSELF, is being published under the pseudonym Evelyn Clarke and is the F&F Pick of the Month. Stephen King says that the book is “[i]n the running for the best mystery of 2026.”
"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:
Other authors we've interviewed recently include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Devi S. Laskar (MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR)
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Allison Pataki (IT GIRL)
Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.
Our Latest Poll: April Fiction Releases to Anticipate
Which of the following fiction titles releasing in April have you read or do you plan to read? Please check all that apply.
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AMERICAN FANTASY by Emma Straub
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BERTIE'S THEORY OF ICE CREAM: A 44 Scotland Street Novel, by Alexander McCall Smith
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CERTAINTY by John Twelve Hawks
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CHASING THE CLOUDS AWAY by Debbie Macomber
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CHERRY BABY by Rainbow Rowell
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CLAWED AND DANGEROUS: A Mrs. Murphy Mystery, by Rita Mae Brown
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A CRUISE TO DIE FOR by Heather Graham
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A DEADLY EPISODE by Anthony Horowitz
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DEATH TIMES SEVEN: A Daniel Pitt Novel, by Anne Perry and Victoria Zackheim
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DOG PERSON by Camille Pagán
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THE ENDING WRITES ITSELF by Evelyn Clarke
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GHOST TOWN by Tom Perrotta
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THE GIRLS TRIP by Ally Condie
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GO GENTLE by Maria Semple
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HOPE RISES by David Baldacci
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HOW TO CHEAT YOUR OWN DEATH: A Castle Knoll Murder Mystery, by Kristen Perrin
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IN THE SPIRIT OF FRENCH MURDER: An American in Paris Mystery, by Colleen Cambridge
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INTO THE BLUE: A Love Story, by Emma Brodie
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JAPANESE GOTHIC by Kylie Lee Baker
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LAST NIGHT IN BROOKLYN by Xochitl Gonzalez
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LAST ONE OUT by Jane Harper
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LIDIE: The Further Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton, by Jane Smiley
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THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP BY THE HARBOR by Jean Stone
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THE LOST SUMMER by Wendy Corsi Staub
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MAD MABEL by Sally Hepworth
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MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR by Devi S. Laskar
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THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson
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THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME: The Book Woman's Legacy, by Kim Michele Richardson
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NO WAY HOME by T.C. Boyle
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PARADOX by Douglas Preston and Aletheia Preston
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THE PATCHWORK PLAYERS: An Elm Creek Quilts Novel, by Jennifer Chiaverini
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REVENGE PREY: A Lucas Davenport Novel, by John Sandford
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THE SAPPHIRE SEA by Davis Bunn
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SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE by Jay McInerney
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YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, April 17th 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 3rd to April 17th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of LAST ONE OUT by Jane Harper and YESTERYEAR by Caro Claire Burke.
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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