Weekly Update

May 8, 2026

Never Miss a Contest or a Promotion!
Follow and Like Us on Social Media

BIG News...and a BIG Week with Authors

First up, we have some BIG news to share. We are just 5,800 views/listens away from reaching a huge milestone of 1,000,000 video views/podcast listens. Wow! To everyone who has watched or listened to some of the many features on our channels, thank you.

Also, this week our podcasts were added to Spotify, which we know is growing its book content exponentially. So you can listen to our interviews and events on the “Bookreporter Talks To” channel there. We love that we are bringing you a new way to enjoy our programming! Be sure to share this news with your book-loving family and friends, as well as your book group.

Last Saturday, I loved catching up with Sally Hepworth at an afternoon tea in Princeton, NJ. MAD MABEL is her 10th novel and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. I really feel it’s her best book! This event was the last on her multi-week US tour, but you never would have known that. She sparkled as she shared the genesis of the story and how she came to write it. Her son, who loves Greek mythology, inspired the name of her character, Persephone. I loved hearing that!

Sally is terrific to follow on social media. I asked her for a catch-up on her three children, especially her precocious younger daughter. Sally's dashing new boyfriend, Dan, was with her on the early part of the tour. Next time, I am insisting that he be there for any events in the New York City area!

The tea was held in a barn at the Historical Society of Princeton's Updike Farmstead. It’s a beautiful setting, and if you have the opportunity to attend an event there, do it. I was very impressed with Janie Hermann and her staff from the Princeton Public Library, who ran a seamless program.

Pictured above is Sally in conversation with author Megan McCafferty, who moderated the event. You also can see Sally with me and her editor and publisher, Jen Enderlin. 

Tuesday night was the publication day event for Kathryn Stockett’s new novel, THE CALAMITY CLUB, which was held in conjunction with the Montclair Literary Festival. Kathryn gave a wonderful talk on her path to writing this book --- and what life has been like since THE HELP came out 17 years ago. 

I absolutely loved this book. It’s the kind of story where the characters stay with you, and after you finish it, you find yourself wondering what happened to them in the years that followed.

We have our rave review this week from Pamela Kramer, who calls it “riveting historical fiction” and “a powerful narrative about struggling through the Depression.” She goes on to say, “I think the power of THE CALAMITY CLUB lies in the beauty of the narration, the touching story, the display of the historic mistreatment of women, and the fact that these women hold the power --- even if it's just for a while…. So don't let the heft of the novel keep you from reading it; you'll race through it. I did. You'll probably love it and think about it for weeks to come. I did.”

I completely agree with Pamela! The book was worth waiting for. It will make for an excellent book group discussion, and it will be a Bets On selection. My “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with Kathryn will run next week!

Last night, Tom, Francesca and I went to the Opening Reception for ThrillerFest. We had a brilliant time, though we have no pictures to prove it.

Lisa Scottoline is being honored as a ThrillerMaster, along with Harlan Coben. We got to catch up with Lisa and her daughter, Francesca Serritella. Lisa loved knowing that a cocktail at the party was named after one of her characters --- the Rosato, which was white wine and seltzer. We had a quick chat with Harlan and then found Bonnie Kistler, who shared that her next book will be coming in 2027.

Elle Cosimano was in town as she was doing some publicity videos for a new mystery series that she is writing with Hannah Morrissey, the first installment of which will be out in October. We caught Wendy Walker for a few minutes to talk about BLADE and to hear that she has some new audio production projects coming up.

Mark Sullivan, who is the author of two favorite books of mine --- BENEATH A SCARLET SKY and THE LAST GREEN VALLEY --- shared that he will have a new book out in 2027. He also noted that BENEATH A SCARLET SKY is now being developed by Imperative Entertainment, the producers behind the movie adaptation of KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON.

It really was a wonderful evening. I am looking forward to tomorrow night’s Thriller Awards Banquet, where Lisa and Harlan will be formally honored. Photos to come next week!

Join Us for Our May “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, May 13th at 2pm ET.

The focus will be on titles releasing between May 12th and June 2nd, along with a few from the first half of July, 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.

THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY, Pulitzer Prize winner Elizabeth Strout’s new novel, tells the story of a chance incident that sparks a powerful realization in a beloved teacher’s life. It’s a poignant meditation on loneliness, friendship, parenthood, and the importance of truth in a capsizing world.

Eileen Zimmerman Nicol has our review and says, “We come to know Artie Dam as a thoughtful, introspective and considerate man who is still engaged with big questions, pondering his dilemmas, and marveling at the stakes present in an outwardly ordinary life…. I believe the things we never say are Strout’s true territory --- that she says them --- and no one does it better. For her fans, THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY is a cause for celebration.”

I am listening to this book on audio and am planning to attend Elizabeth's event on Monday night at [words] Bookstore in Maplewood, NJ. If any of you will be there, please say hi!

Word of Mouth Contest Reminder
THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY is one of our current Word of Mouth prizes; the other is THE FOURSOME by Christina Baker Kline, which we will review next week. Submit your comments about the books you’ve read, and you’ll be in the running to win both these titles. Please enter by Friday, May 15th at noon ET.

Patricia Cornwell is best known for her internationally bestselling thriller series about forensic pathologist Dr. Kay Scarpetta. Every story comes from somewhere, and Scarpetta's began when Cornwell embedded herself in a morgue. In her achingly honest memoir, TRUE CRIME, she excavates her own life.

According to Ray Palen in his review, “TRUE CRIME fills in all the gaps and questions about Cornwell and provides an unflinching look at a childhood marred by abuse and neglect, which I am happy to say did not permanently scar her. Readers will be able to appreciate the origins of the Scarpetta series and how its eventual success would forever change Cornwell while never ceasing to remind her of who she really is.”

THE LAKE HOUSE, Lori Foster’s second Firefly Summer novel, is our latest Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight title. You may remember we featured the first installment of the series, THE GUEST COTTAGE, as an Author Spotlight title last year.

Here’s the premise: When Pixie Nolan first came to Bramble, Kentucky, the abandoned and desperate young single mother found hope, healing and a fresh start. With the loving support of her best friends, she is now happily raising her toddler son in a cozy cottage. She never expected to make an electrifying connection with a summer renter. Brogan Rafferty, a retired Navy SEAL, arrives with a baby girl in tow and settles into the lake house next door. But it’s no coincidence that Brogan has found Pixie, and his startling revelations make it clear she’s the key to healing old regrets and building new dreams.

In anticipation of the book’s May 26th publication, we're hosting a contest where we’re awarding a copy to 25 readers. The deadline for your entries is Friday, May 22nd at noon ET. I look forward to talking to Lori about THE LAKE HOUSE in the next few weeks.

Other books we’re reviewing this week include:

• CALLER UNKNOWN: How far would you go to rescue your child? A mother races against the clock --- and finds herself on the wrong side of the law --- in a desperate fight to save her teenage daughter in Gillian McAllister’s new thriller, which is May’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club pick.
   
• FIVE: Five lives. Five stories. Four will live, one will die. Who it will be? The choice is all yours. Debut novelist Ilona Bannister's much-talked-about book breaks the fourth wall and asks the reader to be judge, jury and executioner.
   
• HOMEBOUND: Five interlocking lives. One beloved story. Portia Elan’s debut novel, which is this month’s “Good Morning America” Book Club pick, is a dazzling adventure across centuries and continents in search of the things that hold us together.

Summer Reading Contest Update
We kicked off our 2026 Summer Reading contests this week by giving away the aforementioned THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett, along with THE LITTLE BOOKSHOP BY THE HARBOR by Jean Stone. Next week’s prizes will be SEEK THE TRAITOR’S SON by Veronica Roth and THE SAPPHIRE SEA by Davis Bunn. These 24-hour giveaways will be up at noon ET on Tuesday, May 12th and Wednesday, May 13th.

Your Last Chance to Enter Our Mother's Day Contest
THE CALAMITY CLUB is also a prize in this year’s Mother’s Day contest, in addition to HARBOR POINTE by Irene Hannon, LITTLE WONDER by Sophie Chen Keller, THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson, and THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME by Kim Michele Richardson. The deadline is THIS Monday, May 11th at noon ET, so be sure to enter if you haven’t already.

Don’t Miss Our Mother’s Day Author Blogs
We wrapped up our Mother’s Day Author Blog series this week. Six authors wrote wonderful pieces about reading with their moms or with their own children, and how their moms inspired them to become readers and writers.

Many thanks to Marie Benedict, Laurie Frankel, Devi S. Laskar, Casey Scieszka, Casey Sherman and Caitlin Shetterly for sharing these special memories with us. You also can find these blogs on our Facebook and Instagram pages if you’d like to share them with others.

We received this very nice note from Caitlin: “I am really, really proud of this essay. And so grateful you published it.” The pieces are amazing, so do take some time to read them!

The New York Times bestseller and book club favorite REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES has been adapted into a movie and is now available to stream on Netflix. Shelby Van Pelt was a “Bookaccino Live” Book Group guest two years ago, so we thought it would be fun to revisit that event with you in honor of the film’s release. Click here to watch the program or here to listen to the podcast.

I got to watch the movie earlier this evening, and it is very well done. Sally Field is terrific in it!

May’s New in Paperback Feature
Our New in Paperback roundups for May are now up. We’re featuring paperback fiction reprints from such bestselling authors as Stephen King (NEVER FLINCH), Wally Lamb (THE RIVER IS WAITING), Jeanine Cummins (SPEAK TO ME OF HOME), Lisa Jewell (DON’T  LET HIM IN), Megan Miranda (YOU BELONG HERE), Martha Hall Kelly (THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB), and Adriana Trigiani (THE VIEW FROM LAKE COMO); nonfiction titles, including THE IDAHO FOUR by James Patterson and Vicky Ward and THE END IS THE BEGINNING by Jill Bialosky; and paperback originals like THE DIVORCE by Freida McFadden and THE WISH by Heather Morris.

Revisiting My “Bookreporter Talks To” Interview with Janet Skeslien Charles
Out in paperback this week is THE PARISIAN CHAPTER, a charming novel about two small-town girls with big dreams who move to Paris to become artists. I talked to Janet Skeslien Charles about the book last May when it released as an audio original. So if you missed the interview or would like to check it out again, you can watch it here or listen to the podcast here.

Oprah’s latest Book Club pick is JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart, the Booker Prize-winning author of SHUGGIE BAIN and YOUNG MUNGO. In this portrait of a father’s expectations and a son’s desires, a young man returns to his Hebridean island home. According to Oprah, Stuart “brilliantly weaves a complex and compelling tale that ultimately showcases the transformational power of love in a hostile and judgmental world. I felt transported.”

Oprah and Douglas recently talked about JOHN OF JOHN in front of an enthusiastic audience in New York City who read the book and had questions for the author. Click here for their discussion.

Alexandra Andrews, the critically acclaimed author of WHO IS MAUD DIXON?, is back with her second novel, THE FINE ART OF LYING, which is Reese’s Book Club pick for May. A young wife and mother is thrust into a world of wealth and privilege, whose rash mistake sets off a domino effect of murder and betrayal. Reese says, “This book feels like a secret I’m not supposed to share…but it’s too good not to!”

GOOD JOY, BAD JOY is this month’s Barnes & Noble Book Club pick. Is it ever too late to become who we're meant to be? Mikki Brammer, the bestselling author of THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER, has penned a heartwarming and wise novel about the choices we make, the friendships we cherish, and the lengths we go for love.

For more May selections, including the Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, see our “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks” feature here.

Remember to Vote in Our Poll
Our poll continues to ask which of 35 fiction titles releasing this month you are looking forward to reading. Click here to let us know by Friday, May 15th at noon ET.

The 110th annual Pulitzer Prizes were announced this week. The winners include ANGEL DOWN by Daniel Kraus (Fiction), WE THE PEOPLE: A History of the U.S. Constitution by Jill Lepore (History), PRIDE AND PLEASURE: The Schuyler Sisters in an Age of Revolution, by Amanda Vaill (Biography), THINGS IN NATURE MERELY GROW by Yiyun Li (Memoir or Autobiography), and THERE IS NO PLACE FOR US: Working and Homeless in America, by Brian Goldstone (General Nonfiction).

Click here for the complete list of winners and nominees in the Journalism, Books, Drama and Music categories.

News & Pop Culture

Reader Mail:

Linda wrote, “My book club attended a brunch today featuring Kristy Woodson Harvey at the Coral Bay Beach Club benefiting the Beaufort Historical Society. It was wonderful to meet Kristy as our group has read three of her books, and now we have a personalized copy of her new book, SUMMER STATE OF MIND.” Pictured above is Kristy with Linda's book group.

Sharon wrote, “Thanks for the bookmarks! I will give them out at our next book club meeting at the end of the month. And also to other book clubs and friends. Happy Spring, and Happy Reading!” For those of you waiting on bookmarks, Francesca and I will be working on getting those out next week. A new batch was just shipped to me from the printer. 

Loretta wrote this about FINLAY DONOVAN CROSSES THE LINE, which she won in a Spring Reading contest: “What a terrific book! Clever, funny and a wonderful read! Thank you very much!”

Jill wrote about my loathing text messages that need to be read on television shows: “Carol, you definitely aren’t the only one who thinks that text messages are a pain. I sometimes rewind, pause, and even stand in front of the TV just to read them. I agree about the mumbling, too. After a few rewinds, I usually give up. Another pet peeve of mine is how loud the background music is (it doesn’t feel like background at all!), and it makes it hard to hear what the actors are saying. I was able to adjust my settings to lower the music, and it does help some. Nice to know I’m not the only one!”

Janice wrote, “I just signed up for the Summer Reading newsletter. I was thinking as I was doing so that I already have received so many gifts from Bookreporter, I may appear very greedy! I already have been the happy recipient of so many actual books that I will be forever grateful. But I also receive the weekly gifts of the newsletter, author interviews to listen to or watch, and the previews of so many new books coming out soon. So I tell myself just to look at the list. But when I see all those great titles that are going to be given away, how can I NOT sign up? So I did. Thanks so much for all that you and your staff do for us readers. You have enriched my reading life and my retirement years.”

Kathleen from my book group thinks that when the film adaptation of YESTERYEAR is made, the Talking Heads song “Once in a Lifetime” needs to be part of the soundtrack. I agree with her! 

We will be celebrating Mother’s Day here with brunch on Sunday (brunch that is not too early). I am continuing to read THE ORIGINAL by Priya Parmar, which I am enjoying enormously. Next up, I will be reading A FORTUNE OF SAND, which is Ruta Sepetys' first book for adults. I have enjoyed all of her YA titles and have heard wonderful things about this one.

Next weekend we are hoping to open the pool, which is the siren call that summer is on its way. And I really need to get started on garden planning!

Happy Mother’s Day to all who are celebrating. And to those whose moms are gone, like mine, be kind to yourself and treasure the memories.

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 Bookshop/IndieBound. As you read our reviews and features, we would appreciate your considering this as you buy!

Featured Review:
THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett
An Upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On Title

THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Jenna Lamia and January LaVoy
Oxford, Mississippi, 1933. Abandoned by her mother one Christmas Eve, 11-year-old Meg Lefleur is now one of the unadoptable “big girls" at the Lafayette County Orphan Asylum. Birdie Calhoun, unmarried and outspoken, has come to Oxford to ask her socialite sister to help the struggling family she's left behind. But as the Depression tightens its grip, Birdie discovers that her sister's seemingly charmed life is a tapestry of lies. Then Birdie encounters Charlie, a woman running low on luck with little left to lose. When their fates --- and Meg’s --- converge, Charlie comes up with an audacious plan to claim what's rightfully theirs. But in a place and time where hypocrisy is rife and women's freedom is fragile, even the smallest act of defiance can have dangerous consequences. 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.

THE CALAMITY CLUB will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On pick.
Don't miss Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview
with Kathryn Stockett in next week's newsletter, followed by her
Bets On commentary in the May 22nd newsletter.

Featured Review:
THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY by Elizabeth Strout

THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY by Elizabeth Strout (Fiction) 
Audiobook available, read by Robert Petkoff
Artie Dam is living a double life. He spends his days teaching history to 11th graders. He goes to holiday parties with his wife of three decades, makes small talk with neighbors, and, on weekends, takes his sailboat out on the beautiful Massachusetts Bay. But inside, Artie is plagued by feelings of isolation. He looks out at a world gone mad --- at himself and the people around him --- and turns a question over and over in his mind: How is it that we know so little about one another, even those closest to us? And then, one day, Artie learns that life has been keeping a secret from him, one that threatens to upend his entire world. Once he learns it, he is forced to chart a new course, to reconsider the relationships he holds most dear --- and to make peace with the mysteries at the heart of our existence. Reviewed by Eileen Zimmerman Nicol.

- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.

Click here to read our review.

Featured Review: TRUE CRIME by Patricia Cornwell

New Women’s Fiction Author Spotlight & Contest:
Enter to Win One of 25 Copies of THE LAKE HOUSE
by Lori Foster, Releasing on May 26th

Bookreporter.com’s 21st Annual
Mother’s Day Contest: Books Mom Will Love
Enter by THIS Monday at Noon ET!

Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. To celebrate, we're giving you the opportunity to win books for yourself or the special lady in your life in Bookreporter.com's 21st annual “Books Mom Will Love” contest.

From now through Monday, May 11th at noon ET, readers can enter to win one of our five prize packages, which includes five great titles that we think moms will love.

This year's prize books are:

• THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett
• HARBOR POINTE: A Hope Harbor Novel by Irene Hannon
• LITTLE WONDER by Sophie Chen Keller
• THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB by Susan Patterson and James Patterson
• THE MOUNTAINS WE CALL HOME: The Book Woman's Legacy by Kim Michele Richardson

Click here to enter the contest.

Bookreporter.com’s 17th Annual
Mother’s Day Author Blogs

Our Mother's Day Author Blogs are back for a 17th year! We are excited to be sharing pieces from six authors who reminisce about reading books with their moms, or with their own children, and talk about how their moms influenced them to become readers and writers.

• Reading MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR on Mother’s Day by Devi S. Laskar
• My Mother, the Octopus, and Me by Casey Scieszka
• Library Saturdays by Marie Benedict
• Changing the Narrative: On Dead Moms in Books by Caitlin Shetterly
• The Inheritance of Reading by Laurie Frankel
• My Personal Hero by Casey Sherman 

As always, we appreciate the authors who took the time to participate in this annual feature.

Revisiting Our “Bookaccino Live”
Book Group Event with Shelby Van Pelt,
Author of REMARKABLY BRIGHT CREATURES
Now a Netflix Film

Featured Review:
CALLER UNKNOWN by Gillian McAllister
May’s “Read with Jenna” Book Club Pick

Featured Review: FIVE by Ilona Bannister

Featured Review: HOMEBOUND by Portia Elan
May’s “Good Morning America” Book Club Pick

Bookreporter.com's 22nd 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 two contests will be up at noon ET on Tuesday, May 12th and Wednesday, May 13th. The prize books will be SEEK THE TRAITOR'S SON by Veronica Roth and THE SAPPHIRE SEA by Davis Bunn.

Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.

May’s New in Paperback Roundups

May's roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes NEVER FLINCH, a twisty psychological thriller from Stephen King that explores vigilante justice and a diabolical serial killer; THE RIVER IS WAITING by Wally Lamb, which tells the propulsive story of a young father who, after an unbearable tragedy, reckons with the possibility of atonement for the unforgivable; SPEAK TO ME OF HOME, a deeply felt multigenerational family story from Jeanine Cummins that asks: What does it mean to call a place home?; Megan Miranda's YOU BELONG HERE, a gripping work of psychological suspense featuring a decades-old secret that haunts a mother and her college-bound daughter; and THE MARTHA’S VINEYARD BEACH AND BOOK CLUB by Martha Hall Kelly, a spectacular novel in which two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women.

Among our nonfiction highlights are THE IDAHO FOUR, James Patterson and Vicky Ward's exploration of a complex criminal investigation and its devastating aftermath, now featuring a newly reported conclusion; CLASS CLOWN, a hilarious memoir by Dave Barry, who tells his life story with all the humor you’d expect from a man who made a career out of making fun of pretty much everything; THINGS IN NATURE MERELY GROW, Yiyun Li’s remarkable, defiant work of radical acceptance as she considers the loss of her son, James; THE END IS THE BEGINNING, a lyrical portrait of the life of Jill Bialosky's mother, told in reverse order from burial to birth; and Giri Nathan's CHANGEOVER, which serves as a primer to the rivalry poised to define the next decade of tennis: Carlos Alcaraz vs. Jannik Sinner.

Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
May 4th, May 11th, May 18th and May 25th.

Our Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks for May

Each month, we share top book picks from Indie Next and LibraryReads. We also feature a number of other prominent selections, including the Barnes & Noble Book Club, the “Good Morning America” Book Club, Oprah’s Book Club, the PBS Books Readers Club, the “Read with Jenna” Book Club, Reese's Book Club, and the Target Book Club.

Below is a preview of May's “Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks.” For the complete Indie Next and LibraryReads lists, as well as additional links pertaining to this month's selections, please click here.

Indie Next
#1 Pick: MAKE BELIEVE: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett
THE CALAMITY CLUB by Kathryn Stockett
THE LOST BOOK OF LANCELOT by John Glynn
ENORMOUS WINGS by Laurie Frankel
WE BURNED SO BRIGHT by TJ Klune

LibraryReads
Top Pick: CALLER UNKNOWN by Gillian McAllister
FIVE by Ilona Bannister
I KNOW A PLACE: Rest Stop and Other Dark Detours, by Nat Cassidy
THE BURNING SIDE by Sarah Damoff
A PARADE OF HORRIBLES by Matt Dinniman

Barnes & Noble Book Club
GOOD JOY, BAD JOY by Mikki Brammer

"Good Morning America" Book Club
HOMEBOUND by Portia Elan

Oprah's Book Club
JOHN OF JOHN by Douglas Stuart

PBS Books Readers Club
THIS IS NOT ABOUT US by Allegra Goodman

"Read with Jenna" Book Club
CALLER UNKNOWN by Gillian McAllister

Reese's Book Club
THE FINE ART OF LYING by Alexandra Andrews

Target Book Club
THE LIBRARY OF FLOWERS by L.C. Chu

Click here for May's Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks.

More Reviews This Week

SMALL TOWN GIRLS: A Writer's Memoir by Jayne Anne Phillips (Memoir/Essays)
Oprah’s #1 Most Anticipated Book of 2026
Audiobook available, read by Jayne Anne Phillips
Jayne Anne Phillips grew up in the small town of Buckhannon, West Virginia. The distinctly American landscape of Appalachia has been the great setting for her fiction, even as she and her boundless imagination have traveled to other times and places. In these pieces, Phillips brings us into her childhood and family, most movingly her mother. She recreates the place she calls home, its foundational truths and the densely woven ties between the women of the town. She traces her journeys across the country and her discovery of writing and reading as tools for both survival and revelation, offering insights into the fellow writers and touchstones that moved and influenced her. From the local beauty salon to the legendary Hatfield–McCoy feud, Phillips ponders her relationship with inspiration, spirituality, culture, and the troubled annals of the last American centuries. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.

MOTHER TONGUE: A Memoir by Sara Nović (Memoir) 
Audiobook available, read by Lisa Flanagan 
Sara Nović’s early years were steeped in music, Bible study, and a strong desire to fit in. But when she failed her school’s mandated hearing test, her worldview was thrown into chaos. Desperate not to be marked as different, she told no one, staying in the hearing world for as long as she could by brute force. Eventually unable to ignore the fact that she was deaf, Nović sought out other deaf people and was welcomed into a tight-knit community rooted in the beauty and joy of American Sign Language. Now the mother of two young sons --- one, biological and hearing; the other, adopted and deaf --- Nović reflects on her life both before and after parenthood. Interwoven with Nović's personal story is a remarkable portrait of America through reflections on some of its most complex histories. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

DISSECTION OF A MURDER by Jo Murray (Legal Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Joanne Froggatt
When Leila Reynolds is handed her first murder case, she’s shocked by the victim: a well-known, well-respected judge, whose death sent shock waves through the legal community. She’s nowhere near experienced enough to handle such a high-profile assignment, but the defendant wants her, and only her, to represent him. Except he’s refusing to talk. And if that wasn’t complicated enough, Leila soon learns her opponent is the most ruthless prosecutor she’s ever known: her husband. It’s an impossible situation, yet Leila is determined to sway the jury --- until she’s blindsided once again by a shadowy figure from her past. Suddenly, Leila finds herself fighting not only for her client and marriage, but also to keep her own secrets buried. And if she has to rewrite the rules to win, so be it. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.

SELLING OPPORTUNITY: The Story of Mary Kay by Mary Lisa Gavenas (Biography) 
Audiobook available, read by Barbara Henslee
Growing up in Depression-era Texas, Mary Kathlyn Wagner is a dutiful daughter and diligent student with ambition aplenty and no place to use it. Married at 16, she is a grandmother at 34. When she is not cooking or taking care of the kids, she peddles cleaning products to other housewives. In 1963, she sets up her own company, selling second chance and self-invention for the price of a skin care showcase. Soon millions know her as the little lady in the big wig who gives away pink Cadillacs. From its unpromising start in a 500-square-foot Dallas storefront, Mary Kay Inc. grows into a global phenomenon. Based on 15 years of research, SELLING OPPORTUNITY gives us a page-turning rags-to-riches story set against the background of direct selling in all its overstated, over-the-top glory. Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott.

PATIENT, FEMALE: Stories by Julie Schumacher (Fiction/Short Stories)
Audiobook available; read by Hillary Huber, Lisa Flanagan, Jenn Lee, Alex Picard, Anne Marie Lewis and Jess Moran
An unsuspecting couple is treated to a luxury vacation by their deceased neighbor. After begrudgingly agreeing to volunteer at a nursing home, a middle-school girl gambles over games of bridge with elderly residents. A single mother struggles to understand the unique bond between her autistic son and his dying grandmother. Four friends experience decades of highs and lows as pawns in The Game of Life. A professional gynecology patient runs into a high school flame while at work, undressed, on the job. In this irreverent collection, celebrated novelist Julie Schumacher balances sorrow against laughter. Here, we experience story not only as narrative, but as syllabus and as board game. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.

AFTER OSCAR: The Legacy of a Scandal by Merlin Holland (Biography/Literary Criticism)
Oscar Wilde died in November 1900, exiled in Paris, his reputation in tatters, exhausted by scandal and prison life. While the details of his life in the limelight are well known, often ignored are the reverberations of the Wilde scandal over the decades following his trial and death. With pathos, humor and his grandfather’s signature wit, Merlin Holland charts the extraordinary afterlife of the legendary writer and thinker, tracing the dramatic fluctuations in Wilde’s posthumous reputation. Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley.

ATTENTION: Writing on Life, Art, and the World by Anne Enright (Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Anne Enright
For 30 years, Anne Enright has been paying attention: casting her lucid and distinctive gaze across the world, literature and her own life, and gifting us with her precise insights. These essays, collated from across Enright’s career, take us from Galway to Honduras, from keen-eyed memoir to urgent political writing. Enright writes about the free voices and controlled bodies of women in society. She interprets Sophocles’ Antigone through the lens of the Mother and Baby Homes in Galway, writes on Ireland’s successful 2018 referendum on abortion rights, and offers new perspectives on writers including Alice Munro, Toni Morrison, James Joyce, Helen Garner and Angela Carter. Reviewed by Pauline Finch.

THE INKLINGS DETECTIVE AGENCY by John R. Kelly (Historical Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Rupert Degas
In the shadowy streets of 1936 Oxford, England, members of a secret society keep turning up dead. When J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis and their fellow literary masterminds, known as the Inklings, are called upon to catch a killer, they trade their pens for magnifying glasses. With time running out, they get a helping hand from mystery writers Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers to unravel a sinister web of secrets. Reviewed by Ray Palen.

LOST IN YELLOWSTONE: A National Park Mystery by Nicole Maggi (Mystery/Thriller)
When a human foot is ejected from a geyser in Yellowstone National Park, Special Agent Emme Helliwell of the National Park Service is assigned the chilling case. She is drawn into the park’s vast, unforgiving wilderness --- and into the orbit of a private school for at-risk teens where extreme backcountry excursions are part of the curriculum. As disturbing truths begin to surface, Emme also must confront personal fault lines, including the unresolved tension with an ex-boyfriend who’s suddenly back in her life and assigned to the same case. In a place where danger hides behind natural beauty and good intentions can mask darker motives, Emme must navigate both treacherous terrain and emotional landmines to solve a mystery that could cost her everything. Reviewed by L. Dean Murphy.

Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on May 12th

Below are some notable titles releasing on May 12th that we would like to make you aware of. We will have more on many of these books in the weeks to come. For a list of additional hardcovers and paperbacks available the week of May 11th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.

AMERICAN PATRIARCH: The Life of George Washington by H. W. Brands (Biography)
From historian and Pulitzer Prize finalist H. W. Brands comes an inspiring portrait of George Washington that examines his unrivaled leadership in the birth of America.

THE ANNIVERSARY by Alex Finlay (Psychological Thriller)
Twisty, high-concept and emotionally charged, THE ANNIVERSARY is an addictive murder mystery and nail-biting thriller. But it’s also a tender, heartrending story about fate, innocence lost, and two people bound by a single day.

THE FOURSOME by Christina Baker Kline (Historical Fiction)
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Christina Baker Kline comes a boldly original reimagining of the astonishing true story of two sisters in 19th-century North Carolina --- Kline’s own distant relatives --- who married world-famous conjoined twins from Siam.

THE LAST MANDARIN by Louise Penny and Mellissa Fung (Political Thriller)
THE LAST MANDARIN is an electrifying study of absolute power and voracious greed, political terror and personal conviction. But it also is an intimate examination of choice, of sacrifice, of memory and myths, both cultural and personal.

THE MAY HOUSE by Jillian Cantor (Fiction)
Three adult sisters inherit a beach house on the condition that they spend one week together every May, leading to the discovery of family secrets, unexpected romance, and a deeper understanding of each other.

RED VERDICT by James Comey (Legal Thriller)
Federal prosecutor Nora Carleton is drawn into international intrigue as she investigates the assassination of a weapons manufacturer in this latest thriller from the former director of the FBI.

ROBERT B. PARKER'S BOOKED: A Sunny Randall Novel by Alison Gaylin (Mystery)
Boston PI Sunny Randall investigates a popular book critic on a mean streak, only for her to wind up dead, in this latest thriller in Robert B. Parker’s bestselling series.

SEEK THE TRAITOR'S SON by Veronica Roth (Dystopian Fantasy/Romance)
An epic, romantic dystopian fantasy begins in SEEK THE TRAITOR'S SON from #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth.

Click here to see the latest “On Sale This Week” newsletter.

From left to right: Louise Penny & Mellissa Fung, Ilona Bannister

Upcoming Virtual Book and Author Events

Here are six upcoming virtual book and author events that you may be interested in attending. Click on the links for more info and to register.

Monday, May 11th at 7pm ET: Barnes & Noble: Join Barnes & Noble as they welcome #1 New York Times bestselling author Louise Penny and award-winning journalist Mellissa Fung for a live virtual discussion of their thriller, THE LAST MANDARIN. Louise and Mellissa will be in conversation with a special guest.

Monday, May 11th at 8pm ET: The Poisoned Pen Bookstore: Ilona Bannister will talk about her incredibly original new novel, FIVE. Five lives. Five stories. Four will live, one will die. Who it will be? In this slow-burn masterpiece of psychological fiction, the choice is all yours.

Monday, May 11th at 8pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's presents Laura Zigman as she discusses her new book, THE AUTHOR WEEKEND, with Mona Awad. The Devil Wears Prada meets “White Lotus” in a story of colliding egos and shocking betrayal, as intoxicatingly ice-cold as the pink Prosecco that flows all weekend.

Tuesday, May 12th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Lauren Oliver about her latest book, THE GIRL IN THE LAKE, a haunting novel of suspense in which a young girl who claims to remember a past life draws a psychologist into a decades-old mystery.

Wednesday, May 13th at 2pm ET: “Bookaccino Live” Book Preview Afternoon Event: Carol Fitzgerald will present titles releasing between May 12th and June 2nd, along with a few from the first half of July, 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, May 13th at 7pm ET: “Friends & Fiction”: Join “Friends & Fiction” for a conversation with Kathryn Stockett about her highly anticipated new book, THE CALAMITY CLUB, a bold, bighearted novel about a group of unbreakable women, fighting for what’s rightfully theirs --- and the power of friendship to change everything.

 "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:

• Susan Patterson (THE MOTHER-DAUGHTER BOOK CLUB) Video | Podcast

Other authors we've interviewed recently include:

• Rebecca Armitage (THE HEIR APPARENT) Video | Podcast
• Belle Burden (STRANGERS: A Memoir of Marriage) Video | Podcast
• Ashley Elston (ANATOMY OF AN ALIBI) Video | Podcast
• Patricia Finn (THE GOLDEN BOY) Video | Podcast
• Jane Harper (LAST ONE OUT) Video | Podcast
• Sadeqa Johnson (KEEPER OF LOST CHILDREN) Video | Podcast
• Devi S. Laskar (MIDNIGHT, AT THE WAR) Video | Podcast
• Paula McLain (SKYLARK) Video | Podcast
• Allison Pataki (IT GIRL) Video | Podcast
• Wendy Walker (BLADE) Video | Podcast

Upcoming interviews include:

• Rachel Beanland (THE HALF LIFE)
• Lori Foster (THE LAKE HOUSE: A Firefly Summer Novel)
• Jenny Jackson (THE SHAMPOO EFFECT)
• John Searles (SINGLE GIRLS)
• Ruta Sepetys (A FORTUNE OF SAND)
• Kathryn Stockett (THE CALAMITY CLUB)

Click here for a complete list of our
"Bookreporter Talks To" videos and podcasts.

Our Latest Poll: May Fiction Releases to Anticipate

Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, May 15th at noon ET.

Word of Mouth Contest: Tell Us What
You've Read --- and You Can Win Two Books!

Click here to enter the contest.

Quick Links to Features on Bookreporter.com

Reviews | Features | Bookreporter.com Bets On | Upcoming Bets On
Contests | Poll | Word of Mouth | Coming Soon
  On Sale This Week | New in Paperback | Books on Screen
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts | "Bookaccino Live: A Lively Talk About Books"
  Favorite Monthly Lists & Picks | Book Festivals

Please visit the other websites in TheBookReportNetwork.com: ReadingGroupGuides.com and AuthorsOnTheWeb.com.

And be sure to connect with us on Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.