Archives - Weekly Update

The scorching heat here in the tri-state area disappeared on Thursday with just a few drops of rain ushering in temps back in the 60s and 70s. It's lovely timing since we all were wilting earlier in the week.

Next week, we will not be doing our weekly Friday update or newsletter so the staff can enjoy a long --- and much-needed --- holiday weekend. We have been working like crazy, and we can use some time to plan for the rest of the year. We also will kick it back a big notch, and read and relax.

Happy First Day of Summer! I read somewhere that the last time it did not rain at some point on a weekend in the New York area was November 16 and 17, 2024. I think that weather trend ends this weekend, and I am more than ready for it. It’s also been over 90 degrees, which means it's time to float in the pool and read, or stand by the side of the pool and read. The clouds that draped themselves over us earlier in the week made it feel like it was summer in a very gray San Francisco.

This was another busy week as we worked on production for four author interviews, “Bookaccino Live” and Book Group Speed Dating today. Also, I had my book group meeting last night and an author event on Wednesday. And...I loved every minute of it.

On Wednesday night, I had the pleasure of attending an event at Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, NJ, where Shelley Read spoke about her international bestseller, GO AS A RIVER, which now has more than one million copies in print worldwide and just released in paperback. The book, which is a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection, is set in an area of Colorado that my husband and I know well. We met close to there in Crested Butte, which is where Shelley lives. We got together with her there last summer. So it was really lovely to see her at a location that was home turf to me.

Late last Friday night, I received a message from Annalisa Hartlaub, who shared the incredibly sad news that her father, Joe Hartlaub --- our Senior Writer Emeritus and beloved mystery/thriller/crime book reviewer --- died last Thursday after a brief illness at the way too young age of 73.

Joe had retired from writing for us in 2021 after 24 years and over 3,000(!) reviews (he joined us just one year after Bookreporter launched). He leaves behind his family and so many friends, including authors who appreciated his writing about their work. He loved wearing hats, favoring fedoras but sporting the pork pie hat on occasion as well. Joe’s full obituary is here. He will be so missed. His upbeat voice on the phone always made us smile, and his Happy Birthday serenades were so special.