Freida McFadden, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of THE HOUSEMAID, is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury. Her new book, THE TEACHER, releases on February 6th. This mind-bending psychological thriller is a story of twisting secrets and long-awaited revenge. In her holiday blog post, Freida recalls the Christmas Eves she spent with her grandmother, who would place her presents in an actual stocking. Not surprisingly, Freida’s favorite stocking stuffer was a book…but this was a very special book that she never knew she wanted yet would treasure for many years to come.
This is the time of year when “Best Of” lists are everywhere. These annual roundups always seem to spark lively discussions among readers as they reflect on their favorite books of the year. Although we at Bookreporter.com don’t have a “Best Of” list of our own, we’ve compiled a number of them for you here. See which of your top picks appear on these lists and which titles you feel should've been included but weren't. Perhaps you’ll even find some books to add to your reading list as we head into the new year!
December 12, 2023
In this newsletter, you will find books releasing the weeks of December 11th and December 18th that we think will be of interest to Bookreporter.com readers, along with Bonus News, where we call out a contest, feature or review that we want to let you know about so you have it on your radar.
This week, we are calling attention to our End-of-the-Year Contest featuring Carol Fitzgerald’s Bookreporter.com Bets On picks from 2023. One Grand Prize winner will be awarded all 44 books, while 11 other readers will receive four of these titles. The deadline for your entries is Friday, January 12th at noon ET.
December 12, 2023
This Bookreporter.com Special Newsletter spotlights a book that we know people will be talking about this holiday season. Read more about it, and enter our Holiday Cheer Contest by Wednesday, December 13th at noon ET for a chance to win one of five copies of THE BERRY PICKERS by Amanda Peters --- the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize winner, one of three finalists for the Carnegie Medal for Fiction, and an upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On pick. Please note that each contest is only open for 24 hours, so you will need to act quickly!
Jonathan Santlofer is an author and artist whose new thriller, THE LOST VAN GOGH, releases on January 2nd and is a stand-alone sequel to 2021’s THE LAST MONA LISA. This time, he spins a riveting tale based on rumors that Van Gogh completed a final self-portrait before his death, one that has since been lost to time --- or the black market. Before Jonathan became a writer, he studied art and was a painter, so he tends to have a visual memory and sees his favorite gift books in images. Here, he looks back on a few unforgettable books he has been gifted, including one he received as a Christmas present that is among his all-time favorites.
The author of six young adult novels, Ashley Elston will make her adult fiction debut on January 2nd with the release of FIRST LIE WINS, an upcoming Bookreporter.com Bets On title. This cat-and-mouse thriller is about a picket-fence Southern belle living a double life as a professional con woman. As a youngster, Ashley and her entire family would spend Christmas Eve nights at a family member’s house, which sounds like the best kind of sleepover. In her holiday blog post, Ashley looks back fondly on the book that her grandfather would read to all the kids each year before Santa came down the chimney. It’s a clever twist on a beloved holiday classic and produced one of Ashley’s favorite memories.
