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Last weekend was brilliant when it came to books. I read CITY OF WIDOWS for much of the day on Saturday (taking some time out to watch that crazy England vs. France soccer match, which was such fun). Nadia Hashimi once again brought me into Afghanistan with a story of two women and a young girl whose lives hang in the balance during America's last days there in August 2021.
The novel, which releases on Tuesday and will be a Bookreporter.com Bets On selection, introduces readers to Marjan, who fought beside the Americans. She is desperate to escape the country that saw her given in marriage to a much older man when she was just 13. Years ago, she ran from him when she found out she was pregnant for a second time. She has worked hard to keep her daughter a secret.
The second woman is a news broadcaster whose name and voice is too well known to the Taliban. Her future lies in her ability to leave her homeland. Those of us who remember those very harrowing last weeks in Afghanistan before we left will recall the many tense moments. I read until 3:00 on Sunday morning; the writing was that compelling.
I have read so much of Nadia's work, beginning with THE PEARL THAT BROKE ITS SHELL. We look forward to bringing you our review of the book and my interview with Nadia in the weeks ahead, as well as my Bets On commentary.
I have always called Shari Lapena the “Queen of the One-Sit Read,” and she did not disappoint with her latest, GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER, which also comes out on Tuesday and will be a Bets On pick. In it, Jill and Ted are a Brooklyn couple living their best lives in a stunning brownstone that they have meticulously renovated. Life is good until Ted makes a bad investment that brings them financial worries.
Jill and Ted come up with a perfect plan to get themselves out of debt. If they can kill Ted's brother, they will inherit enough to help keep themselves in the lifestyle that they expect. But there are stumbling blocks for them along the way. Can they stay the course and keep their story straight?
Actually, I stood in the pool to read most of this one last Sunday before I trekked over to the outdoor gazebo to watch what I thought was a lackluster Spain vs. Argentina soccer match. Instead I spent most of it reading, and I finished just about the time that the game ended. There are so many great twists, and once again Shari lives up to her reputation of being a one-sit read for me.
Shari has a very packed tour schedule in the UK and then the US. I am hoping she will have time for an interview before she dives into her next book.
We have two new “Bookreporter Talks To” interviews to share with you in this newsletter.
First up is Lisa Scottoline, whose new psychological thriller, THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING, will be a Bets On selection. The novel features two best friends, Julia and Courtney, who investigate the murder of Courtney's grandmother in rural Pennsylvania.
Lisa describes the book as the “twistiest” she has ever written, with multiple layers of plot and character development. The friendship between Julia and Courtney is the emotional core of the story. They met in high school as outsiders and have sustained each other ever since. Lisa says that female friendships are often undervalued despite being a primary source of support through life's challenges. She highlights this line from the book: “Maybe girlfriends are there to fill in your blind spot.”
Bennie Rosato, who was in 17 of Lisa's previous novels, adds a third strong female voice and embodies the theme of fighting for justice over mere legal compliance.
Lisa also shares details about the various locations in the book. The historical setting is not decorative but thematically essential, connecting personal history, regional history and national history.
The audiobook features five narrators --- Maria Marquis, Kate Burton (Richard Burton's daughter, who again is voicing the character of Bennie Rosato), Soneela Nankani, Stacy Carolan and Max Meyers --- which marks the first time that Lisa has used a multicast format.
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.
I also had the pleasure of talking to Rachel Beanland about her new novel, THE HALF LIFE, which will be a Bets On pick. This is the third time that I have interviewed Rachel. Her previous books, FLORENCE ADLER SWIMS FOREVER and THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE, were Bets On titles as well.
THE HALF LIFE follows Eileen O'Malley, a 23-year-old from Charleston who marries a naval officer named Paul Archer and moves to La Maddalena, Italy, in 1974. Rachel drew heavily from her own childhood experiences living on La Maddalena as a Navy family member, as well as a 2019 research trip back to the island. The interview covers the book's various themes: coming of age, sexual awakening, military wife culture, Cold War politics, grief and self-discovery.
Rachel had a clear picture of Eileen from the start — a questioning, unfulfilled young woman who had not yet come of age when she married — and was thinking about her mother, a Navy wife who resisted many of the expected social obligations, as she was shaping the character. She found Paul relatively easy to write, but it took several attempts to define Teo, who ultimately serves as an honest, non-performative counterpoint to Paul. The full cast of characters reflects the range of ways that women responded to the constraints of military life. Their relationships are complex and not always harmonious.
And yes, there actually was a book called THE NAVY WIFE: What She Ought to Know About the Customs of the Service and the Management of a Navy Household, which Eileen receives as a wedding gift.
Rachel also discusses the Epilogue, which is very powerful, as well as the choice of the title, which resonates on many levels.
Click here to watch the interview or here to listen to the podcast. Don’t miss my Bets On commentary in next week’s newsletter.
COOL MACHINE wraps up Colson Whitehead’s Harlem Trilogy, which began with HARLEM SHUFFLE and continued with CROOK MANIFESTO. This final volume brings to life 1980s New York, a city in transition, where shimmering skyscrapers rise to the heavens as displaced people huddle in abandoned tunnels below.
Ray Palen has our review and says, “The language is infectious. Whitehead knows and writes about the streets of NYC in much the same way that George Pelecanos knows and writes about Washington, DC. COOL MACHINE is a grand finale to this outstanding trilogy. Those who have been along for the entire ride will realize that they have spent time with a deeply complex and unforgettable character.”
For the Mortons, killing isn’t a crime --- it’s family tradition --- and Jessica Morton is their golden child. But when Jessica finds herself drawn to a person she’s meant to murder, she begins to question the family she was raised in, and everything she thought she knew, in Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld’s buzzy new novel, THE MORTONS.
According to Norah Piehl in her review, “In some ways, Jessica's journey might be seen as a particularly dark and vivid metaphor for growing up more generally, realizing that one's family of origin might not be infallible and that it might be necessary to discover and forge different paths for oneself. But it's also an exciting, borderline outlandish exploration of these themes that will appeal to fans of dark academia, gothic family stories and revenge plots.”
Other books we’re reviewing this week include:
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THE COUNTRY ROAD MURDERS: After a shocking accident, Silas Tucker’s legendary football career is suddenly over in James Patterson and Mike Lupica’s action-packed sports thriller powered by loyalty, competition and family.
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UNSAYABLE: Michael Cunningham has penned an intimate memoir portraying a life spent trying to describe the indescribable. His memories spill forth here, and with them reflections on the craft of writing.
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THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE: This high-stakes novel of suspense from Dervla McTiernan, the #1 internationally bestselling author of WHAT HAPPENED TO NINA?, is about three seemingly unconnected people, caught in a lethal web of deceit and unhealed wounds.
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THE INTRIGUE: Silvia Moreno-Garcia, the New York Times bestselling author of MEXICAN GOTHIC and VELVET WAS THE NIGHT, is back with a sizzling noir about desire, danger and greed, in which seduction is the ultimate con.
I’m Betting You’ll Love…
My latest Bets On selections are EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT by Ben Reeves, LITTLE WONDER by Sophie Chen Keller, and SINGLE GIRLS by John Searles. Click on each of the titles for my commentary.
We featured my interview with John in last week’s newsletter, so be sure to give it a watch or a listen. And don't miss my conversations with Ben and Sophie in next week's newsletter.
Summer Reading Contest Update
We gave away FULL BLOOM by Francesca Serritella, which is now in paperback, in this week’s Summer Reading contest. Our final prize book will be SILENT RETREAT by Sally Quinn, in which a prize-winning reporter checks into a monastery for a silent retreat --- and finds romance where she least expects it. The contest will be up at noon ET on the day of its paperback publication, Tuesday, July 28th.
To celebrate the paperback release of FULL BLOOM, Francesca Serritella has an exciting offer to tell you about.
“FULL BLOOM is now in paperback, and if you buy it from any retailer during the first month on sale, I want to gift you my new, exclusive perfume that I created just for the paperback! All you have to do is email paperback@fserritella.com with your proof of purchase and your mailing address, and I will make and ship you this travel-size bespoke perfume as a thank-you gift! The offer ends August 21st.”
Click here to watch Francesca make this special announcement. And if you missed my interview with Francesca following the book’s hardcover release, you can see it here or listen to it here.
Enter Our New Word of Mouth Contest
Let us know by Friday, August 7th at noon ET what books you’ve read, and you’ll have a chance to win THE AMATEUR by Chris Bohjalian (which releases on August 4th) and the aforementioned CITY OF WIDOWS by Nadia Hashimi in our new Word of Mouth contest.
Vote in Our New Poll --- and Check Out Results from the Last Poll
For our latest poll, we’ve listed 13 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, August 7th 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.
We love to hear what book groups are reading. For those of you in book groups, this is your last newsletter reminder to let us know what you’re reading with your group in July. Be sure to fill out this form by Wednesday, July 29th. We look forward to seeing what you're discussing this month!
News & Pop Culture
Reader Mail: Jayme wrote, “Hi, Bookreporter team! Thank you so much for the opportunity to win and read THE SHAMPOO EFFECT and SINGLE GIRLS. I have been reading Carol’s Saturday morning newsletter since 2012, and I can’t imagine starting my weekend without it. I was a 'Cosmo Girl' in the late '70s and am really looking forward to stepping back in time. Thank you again, and best to you all.” Jayme, I want to hear what you think about it!
Colson Whitehead: Here's an interesting interview with the two-time Pulitzer Prize winner talking about his aforementioned latest novel, COOL MACHINE.
The Odyssey: We really enjoyed it. Though its running time was 117 minutes, my husband, who loathes long movies, was surprised that it did not feel lengthy.
“The Five Star Weekend” on Peacock: I was looking forward to this series, but I confess that I did not love it as much as I wanted to.
The forecast is for a gorgeous weekend of weather. Plans are up in the air beyond reading in the pool. I want to finish the aforementioned THE AMATEUR as I am talking to Chris Bohjalian next week. Surprisingly I have not interviewed Chris before. I have stacks and stacks of books to read, so check back next week to see what I picked up next.
On Monday night, I am planning to attend Lisa Scottoline's event at Chapter One Books in Mendham, NJ. I have never been to this store, so I am looking forward to this. If you are there, please say hi!
The flowers outside are looking great, as you can see above. So many of the perennials came back more lush than ever. And the pots that Karyn planted for us look spectacular. There has been enough rain to keep them hydrated aside from the elaborate sprinkler system that my husband has in place.
Mercury retrograde wrapped up last night, and it was not a moment too soon. The last three weeks have been crazy both personally and professionally. Let's not do that again for a while. There was way, way too much drama.
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: COOL MACHINE by Colson Whitehead
COOL MACHINE by Colson Whitehead (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Dion Graham
1981. In Harlem, Ray Carney has just been named Sterling Furniture’s Dealer of the Month. But when the banks won’t give his beloved wife, Elizabeth, a loan for her new travel agency, Carney gambles on one last heist. 1983. To some, Carney’s friend and partner in crime, Pepper, is a stone-cold sociopath. To others, a top thief with questionable people skills. Either way, he’s feeling his age in his troubled gut and aching bones. 1986. Carney has always been haunted by his inability to save his cousin, Freddie. Now, 20 years after Freddie’s death, he has a chance to rescue Freddie’s son from the violent forces of the city. But coming out of retirement and teaming up with Pepper again will mean risking the safety and security he’s spent decades building for his family, with only one shot to get it right. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE MORTONS
by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld
THE MORTONS by Justine Larbalestier and Scott Westerfeld (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Adina Verson
The Mortons are a modern-day, old-money dynasty with impeccable taste --- from their exquisitely crafted cocktails to their expertly tailored vintage garments. They are also stone-cold killers. For the Mortons, homicide is heritage. They, along with the other crime families, send their progeny to Helshire College, where legacy students learn to exercise control over their wealthy peers. Jessica Morton has always excelled at Helshire, secure in the knowledge that she is the prodigy of her generation. Now, having committed her first kill, it should be Jessica’s moment, her honor. But that kill will cut more ways than one, unknotting a series of revelations spanning the Mortons’ country estate, the New York City art world, and Helshire itself. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE COUNTRY ROAD MURDERS
by James Patterson and Mike Lupica
THE COUNTRY ROAD MURDERS by James Patterson and Mike Lupica (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Tom Pelphrey
After a shocking accident, Silas Tucker’s legendary football career is suddenly over. Humbled but never defeated, he returns to his backwoods hometown, Cross Rivers, North Carolina, where his father was murdered. He goes back to what’s left of his family and their small, struggling farm. He reunites with his best friend in the world --- Taylor McCarter Webb, who is now married. Then Silas is pulled into a deadly battle with the Southern Mafia who control drugs, trafficking and murder. As the suspense crescendos, Silas follows one rule for survival: you don’t ride these country roads alone, or in the dead of night. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com Bets On:
EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT
by Ben Reeves, LITTLE WONDER by Sophie Chen Keller, and SINGLE GIRLS by John Searles
EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT by Ben Reeves (Fiction)
Ben Reeves’ debut novel, EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT, revolves around a subject that we typically shy away from: death.
Yes, if you want a topic that no one wants to think about, death is high on the list. But here we have a book so packed with thoughts about life (as well as death), and it is written so beautifully, that you will not want to miss it. I see why it is July’s #1 Indie Next pick.
Throughout the novel, death moves into various people's lives at the final moments in a stealthy way but brings a peace with it. The dying have a moment to assess who they are and what they have done --- and, in at least one case, mourn what will be missed. These little vignettes stand alone but will touch you in various ways. What do they all have in common? What is different about them?
- Click here to read the book description.
- 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 commentary on
EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT.
Don't miss Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview
with Ben Reeves in next week's newsletter.
LITTLE WONDER by Sophie Chen Keller (Fiction)
There are books that steal a part of your heart. LITTLE WONDER by Sophie Chen Keller is one of them. In it, Song gives birth to a boy who she names River. Because of the availability of work, she is apart from her husband, Blue, who has headed hours away where he can find a job in construction. They eagerly plan to see one another each year at the Spring Festival and mark the time until they will be together again. But they continue to be separated. Sadly, Song gets a cryptic call one day that Blue has been killed in a construction accident, and a settlement will be made.
When this money arrives, Song buys a piano that her son, who clearly has an interest in music, can play. For years, River is trained locally, but Song realizes that his talent needs a bigger stage. So they head to Beijing where he has a chance to practice and perform. But in the very crowded Beijing Railway Station, Song and River are separated, and panic ensues. Song has all of their possessions on her back, except for the piano they needed to leave behind. Their search to find each other is futile.
- Click here to read the book description.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on LITTLE WONDER.
Don't miss Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview
with Sophie Chen Keller in next week's newsletter.
SINGLE GIRLS by John Searles (Historical Fiction)
SINGLE GIRLS by John Searles is a wonderful ode to Helen Gurley Brown --- and the “girls” who worked with her --- wrapped up in a brilliantly fun novel. John worked with Helen (in later days, he became comfortable calling her Helen instead of Mrs. Brown) when he started in the Books department at Cosmopolitan. Since I have known John, he has been fascinated by the mission of the magazine and its history.
This is a departure from the thrillers that we have come to expect from John, and his storytelling is spot-on. He nails the gumption and pluckiness that Helen harnessed. She wrote a book called SEX AND THE SINGLE GIRL, which encouraged women to become financially independent and experience sexual relationships before or without marriage. After its publication in 1962, she was inundated with letters from young women seeking her advice.
- Click here to read the book description.
- Click here to read our review.
- Click here for the discussion guide on ReadingGroupGuides.com.
- Click here to watch Carol's “Bookreporter Talks To” interview with John Searles.
- Click here to listen to a podcast of the interview.
Click here to read more of Carol's commentary on SINGLE GIRLS.
Featured Review: UNSAYABLE by Michael Cunningham
UNSAYABLE: A Life in Writing by Michael Cunningham (Memoir)
Audiobook available, read by Michael Cunningham
At the age of three, Michael Cunningham began obsessively collecting the names of things: oak, Chevrolet, finch, tulip, Tupperware. Each word rendered the world ever so slightly more understandable, more describable, kicking off a lifelong love affair with language --- one that would, eventually, maybe inevitably, lead him to become a writer. In UNSAYABLE, Cunningham’s memories spill forth, and with them reflections on the craft of writing. He is 15, in a swimming pool at night, gazing at the first boy he ever fell in love with. He is a new college graduate, setting off for nowhere in a Dodge Dart, hoping to pull meaning (and a novel) from the expanse of America. He is in an art gallery, unwittingly having the first in a lifetime of conversations with the man he would marry. Reviewed by Jana Siciliano.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE
by Dervla McTiernan
THREE REASONS FOR REVENGE by Dervla McTiernan
(Psychological Thriller/Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Alison McGirr
Alexis Turner walks into the police station to report an assault. By the end of the day, she is nowhere to be found. Soon after she disappears, three identical packages arrive at three very different doors: a respected psychologist's home, a socialite's mansion, and a struggling single father's run-down apartment. Inside, each gift is perfectly tailored to its recipient --- and each will tear apart the life of its intended victim. Someone with intimate knowledge of their targets is orchestrating these attacks. Someone who knows exactly how to hurt each victim where they're most vulnerable. As Detective Sergeant Judith Lee races to uncover the connection between three unrelated people, she discovers she's no longer just investigating the game --- she's being forced to play. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
Click here to read our review.
Featured Review: THE INTRIGUE by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
THE INTRIGUE by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (Historical/Noir Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Andre Bellido
Handsome con artist Ulises has long charmed lonely women via letters in order to steal their money. But money is hard to come by in 1940s Mexico. Ulises knows his looks won’t last forever, and he’s desperate to get his hands on a real fortune. He thinks he’s found it when he captivates his newest correspondent, Perla, the owner of a small-town boardinghouse in picturesque Veracruz. But when he meets her, he finds something he didn’t expect. The woman has a niece, Inés, who is as observant as she is desperate to escape her aunt’s household. When Inés discovers Ulises’ true intentions, she wants in on the scheme. They’ll convince her aunt that Ulises is a great catch, Perla will marry him, and her money will vanish. But Perla is not the desperate, silly spinster Ulises imagines. Reviewed by Pamela Kramer.
- Click here to read more about the book.
- Click here to read an excerpt.
Click here to read our review.
Bookreporter.com's 22nd Annual
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer is here! 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 this summer, 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 final prize book will be SILENT RETREAT by Sally Quinn. This sophisticated, sexy and soulful love story explores the boundary between flesh and spirit, restraint and ecstasy, and asks what we’re willing to sacrifice in the name of passion. The contest will be up at noon ET on the day of its paperback release, Tuesday, July 28th.
This year's featured titles are:
Click here to read all the contest details
and learn more about our featured titles.
KEEP THEM CLOSE by David Ellis (Domestic Thriller)
Audiobook available; read by Robin McAlpine, Sean Patrick Hopkins and Kelli Tager
Siblings Allison and Luke have been through a lot together. They’ve always stood by each other. They’d do anything for each other. Or so it seems. When Allison’s husband, Finley, is murdered, the investigation threatens to expose the siblings’ darkest secrets. An illicit affair. A decades-old accident. A stunning deception. How do these events explain Finley’s death? How far will Allison and Luke go to keep their secrets buried? And can the siblings even trust one another anymore? As the investigation winds tighter and past and present collide, the most shocking betrayal might lie a little too close to home. Reviewed by Kate Ayers.
SISTERS OF THE MIDNIGHT SUN: A Murder in Arctic Alaska by Rebecca Wright Stevens (True Crime)
Audiobook available, read by Emily Norman
Rebecca Wright is a defense attorney living in the Lower 48 when she suddenly finds herself a widow and an empty nester. In need of a radical change, she accepts a public defender position in Utqiagvik on Alaska’s North Slope. When two well-known sisters, Bernice and Wanda Ipalook, are found murdered, Wright is tasked with representing Amos Lane, a drifter on the short list of murder suspects. Criminal charges are looming. But this is summer in northern Alaska, the season of the midnight sun, when 24-hour sunlight makes it difficult for witnesses to confirm the time --- or even the day --- they last saw anyone. Wright must navigate, among other things, an unreliable client and a prosecution willing to entrap her to get a conviction. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
HIDE AND SEEK by Søren Sveistrup (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Peter Noble
A strange voice from inside the woods, repeating a child’s counting rhyme. A body discovered in the water. Thirty years later, a woman begins receiving a string of anonymous text messages, repeating that same rhyme. Then she disappears. On Valentine’s Day, detectives Naia Thulin and Mark Hess are searching to find the missing woman. But when they uncover links to a decades-old cold case, their investigation takes a terrifying turn. A violent killer is on the loose. Can Hess and Thulin catch them before they strike again? Reviewed by Ray Palen.
CARRY ME TO MY GRAVE by Christopher Golden (Supernatural Thriller/Horror)
Audiobook available; read by Patricia Santomasso, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Robert Fass and Alex Picard
Maggie Wise will take your eyes. When Malcolm was growing up, the local kids made up that chant about his mother, claiming she was a witch. He and his siblings did their best to ignore it. Now, Maggie is dying, and those same siblings have left Malcolm and his sister-in-law, Violet, to hold a vigil at her bedside. A dark figure waits and watches from beneath the willow tree across the street. Hundreds of miles away, an ancient evil stirs in its burrow under a farmer’s cornfield. Across the country, other buried things begin to dream in anticipation of Maggie’s demise. On her deathbed, the old woman elicits a promise from Malcolm: When she dies, he and Violet must return her body to her birthplace. From the moment she takes her last breath, there are forces trying to stop Malcolm from fulfilling that promise. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE MAN by Laura Sims (Psychological/Historical Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Will Damron and Cassandra Campbell
When Judith Stanley shares the photos she has taken with Paul Sorenson, her new photography instructor, she's unprepared to hear his astonished praise. She has an uncanny eye, he says, and should consider publication. He could help. Except Judith has no interest in sharing her work. Still, emboldened by Paul’s encouragement, she ventures out beyond her quiet neighborhood to the city in search of increasingly striking images. When she starts to notice the dark shape of a man in the corner of her self-portraits, Judith is certain he's an attacker from her past. Perhaps it would appease the man if she were to put her camera down and give up her private passion. But she can't. Until one night when the man finally emerges from the shadows, and Judith’s story suddenly and irrevocably becomes his own. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
SUMMER OF LOVE by Kerri Maher (Historical Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Lauryn Allman
It’s the summer of 1967, and the counterculture revolution is in full swing in San Francisco. Winnie Hartley is determined to use poetry to capture the ever-shifting world around her. Meanwhile, Winnie’s sister, Miranda, throws herself into running the family business, Hartley Vineyard. But change is in the air, and each sister will make choices that set their lives hurtling down paths neither would have imagined. Fifty years later, Dawn Hartley stays as far as possible from her family’s famous vineyard, until a work assignment requires her to research the bestselling Vineland novels penned by a famously anonymous author. Determined to discover the identity of this mysterious writer, Dawn embarks on a soul-searching journey to uncover her family’s secrets, even as she’s keeping a big one of her own. Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
PARADISE PAWN by Meg Richardson (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Lillie Ricciardi
Teenage best friends Jackie and Kayla can sell anything. Alongside their fathers, they work at a pawn shop in Cherry Beach, Florida, handling everything from luxury jewelry to chainsaws and more. When the girls learn that Kayla’s family can’t afford a private school opportunity that Jackie’s can, Jackie becomes distraught about losing her best friend. With their sharp minds but youthful lack of foresight, they scheme a way to embezzle money from the pawn shop. As the hot Florida summer unfolds, the girls steal thousands of dollars from the shop. But when their heist is discovered, Jackie is faced with a situation that no amount of negotiating or charisma can fix. Reviewed by Sam Johnson.
ABSENCE by Andrew Dana Hudson (Science Fiction/Speculative Mystery & Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Dan John Miller
People are “popping.” Disappearing, one by one, into thin air. In a world where prospects for survival are increasingly grim, hopelessness prevails, political rifts widen, and doomsday predictions flourish. Harvey Ellis works the night shift for the Bureau of Depopulation Affairs, an ad hoc federal agency meant to contain and catalog the crisis. His job is to investigate claims of Absence, and, if validated, issue a standard government stipend to boost morale. Still recovering from losses of his own, Harvey is content in his routine --- until his life is shaken by an unexpected assignment from the central office. A woman long thought Absent has reappeared in her hometown of Dawnville, Kansas, claiming she’s been to the other side and back. But is her wild and irresistible account true? Reviewed by Jack Kramer.
Next Week’s Notables:
Noteworthy Books Releasing on July 28th
Below are some notable titles releasing on July 28th 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 July 27th, see our “On Sale This Week” newsletter here.
BEGINNING MIDDLE END by Valeria Luiselli (Fiction)
From the beloved, award-winning author of the modern classics LOST CHILDREN ARCHIVE and TELL ME HOW IT ENDS comes her most powerful and page-turning novel yet: the tale of a mother and a daughter starting over, searching for a new story.
BUYER BEWARE by Catherine Ryan Howard (Domestic Thriller)
From the internationally bestselling author of 56 DAYS comes a page-turning thriller about two women whose shattered lives come crashing together around a house whose secrets could bury them both.
CITY OF WIDOWS by Nadia Hashimi (Fiction)
From bestselling novelist Nadia Hashimi comes a gripping, occasionally terrifying, yet ultimately hopeful novel focusing on the women of Afghanistan in the years since the Taliban regained power.
GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER by Shari Lapena (Psychological Thriller)
What would you do for the perfect New York City apartment? A completely absorbing and original thriller about the corrosive power of greed, GETTING AWAY WITH MURDER contemporizes Macbeth and Lady Macbeth to devastating effect.
THE GOOD PARTS by Evann Normandin (Fiction/Magical Realism)
THE GOOD PARTS is an epic, unforgettable love story about a woman who takes a memory-erasing pill and the man she once loved who returns as a stranger, hoping to make her fall for him all over again.
MEET ME IN PARIS by Kristin Harmel (Fiction)
Kristin Harmel, the New York Times bestselling author of THE BOOK OF LOST NAMES, returns with a captivating new novel about several intertwined stories of love, loss, courage and redemption set over the course of one magical week in Paris.
SEA OF CHARMS by Sarah Beth Durst (Fantasy/Romance)
#1 New York Times bestselling author Sarah Beth Durst brings cozy fantasy romance to the high seas in SEA OF CHARMS, the third magical adventure in her Spellshop series.
Click here to see the latest “On Sale This Week” newsletter.
From left to right: Jenni L. Walsh, Ben Reeves, Gillian McAllister
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.
Saturday, July 25th at 12:30pm ET: Rakestraw Books: Rakestraw Books --- in partnership with Warwick's, Book Passage and Alibi Books --- is thrilled to present debut novelist Ben Reeves as he discusses his new novel, EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT, with John Kenney (I SEE YOU'VE CALLED IN DEAD).
Tuesday, July 28th at 9pm ET: Killer Author Club: Kimberly Belle, Heather Gudenkauf and Kaira Rouda will talk to Gillian McAllister about her latest novel, CALLER UNKNOWN. 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.
Wednesday, July 29th at 7pm ET: Warwick's: Warwick's presents Jenni L. Walsh as she discusses her new book, DEATH WAS NOT ON THE GUEST LIST, with Rachel McMillan. In this witty Jazz Age mystery, rivalry, ambition and deceit glitter under every chandelier…and no one gets out until the killer is unmasked.
"Bookreporter Talks To" Videos & Podcasts
“Bookreporter Talks To” is a video and podcast series that delivers long-form, in-depth author interviews. For years, Carol has moderated book festivals and author events around the country. But we know that readers often do not live where they can attend an author event. Our goal is to bring these author interviews to readers, wherever they may be. Watch on video, or listen as a podcast. (The podcasts include audio excerpts.)
Here are our latest interviews:
Other authors we've interviewed recently include:
Upcoming interviews include:
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Chris Bohjalian (THE AMATEUR)
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Nadia Hashimi (CITY OF WIDOWS)
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Sophie Chen Keller (LITTLE WONDER)
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Ben Reeves (EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL AND NOTHING HURT)
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 13 of Carol’s previous 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.
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ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS by Hank Phillippi Ryan
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APOSTLE’S COVE by William Kent Krueger
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ATMOSPHERE: A Love Story, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
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THE BREAK-IN by Katherine Faulkner
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THE HEIR APPARENT by Rebecca Armitage
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THE LOST BAKER OF VIENNA by Sharon Kurtzman
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THE RIVER IS WAITING by Wally Lamb
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SHE DIDN’T SEE IT COMING by Shari Lapena
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SPEAK TO ME OF HOME by Jeanine Cummins
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THE STOLEN QUEEN by Fiona Davis
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THIS HAPPENED TO ME: A Memoir, by Kate Price
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WHAT DOES IT FEEL LIKE? by Sophie Kinsella
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WHAT KIND OF PARADISE by Janelle Brown
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None of the above
Click here to vote in the poll by Friday, August 7th 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 July 24th to August 7th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of THE AMATEUR by Chris Bohjalian and CITY OF WIDOWS by Nadia Hashimi.
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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